Outcry after Taiwan asks mainland Chinese tourist to sign independence statement

A mainland Chinese tourist was asked to sign a declaration recognising Taiwan as an independent state to obtain an entry permit for the island, sparking controversy over Taipei’s entry requirements.

Beijing condemned the demand on Wednesday, accusing Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of imposing politically motivated restrictions to obstruct cross-strait tourism and exchanges.

“The DPP authorities stubbornly cling to their separatist stance on Taiwan independence and have repeatedly erected barriers to cross-strait tourism and exchanges in various fields,” said Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office.

“This is nothing but political manipulation driven by ulterior motives.”

Zhang reiterated Beijing’s position that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China, warning of a public backlash to attempts to obstruct cross-strait exchanges.

The controversy erupted after a mainland Chinese social media user living overseas posted screenshots on Tuesday showing that Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency (NIA) had demanded additional documents for a tourist entry permit application.

Under Taiwan’s policy, mainland Chinese living or studying overseas can apply to visit the island as tourists, while those living in mainland China remain barred from leisure travel.

The NIA objected to the applicant’s hotel reservation describing the destination as “Taiwan, China”. The agency demanded a revised booking confirmation without the wording, which it perceived as demeaning to the island.

It also instructed the applicant to submit a handwritten declaration recognising Taiwan as an independent state and stating that “Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other”.

The agency said the declaration must be signed, dated and uploaded before the application could proceed.

Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China, to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, although Washington opposes any attempt to seize the self-ruled island by force and remains committed to supplying it with weapons.

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The applicant said the disputed wording had been automatically generated by the hotel booking platform Agoda, adding that travellers should not be held responsible for how booking platforms displayed addresses.

The person reported feeling “a little confused and somewhat speechless”, and questioned the legal basis for requiring tourists to express a particular political position.

The applicant eventually decided against submitting the additional documents, preferring to travel elsewhere.

“Does travelling really have to be like this?” the person asked.

The incident sparked debate online in Taiwan, with some social media users blaming the booking platform rather than the traveller.

The NIA defended its handling of the case, saying cross-strait regulations allowed officials to reject applications from mainland Chinese visitors whose words or actions deliberately undermined Taiwan’s dignity.

“Previously issued permits could also be revoked under the regulations,” it said in a statement, insisting that its request for additional documents complied with the law.

NIA director general Lin Horng-en said on Wednesday that Taiwan welcomed tourists from around the world, but visitors must respect its laws.

When asked about the requirement to sign what critics called a “Taiwan independence declaration”, Lin said the agency would “refine its wording to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings”.

Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), criticised the demand as inappropriate for a democracy.

“This is not how a democracy should behave. Rather, it resembles the practices of an authoritarian regime,” said Hsu Yu-chen, secretary general of the KMT’s legislative caucus.

She accused the DPP administration of applying double standards and exploiting anti-mainland sentiment for political gain ahead of the island’s November 28 local elections, and questioned whether other tourist groups would face the same requirement.

The controversy also highlighted differences between the NIA’s wording and the position of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which has described the island and mainland China as “not subordinate to each other”.

Beijing strongly condemned a similar formulation used by Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te in his 2024 inaugural address and subsequently staged large-scale military drills around the island.