Beijing used ‘visa blackmail’ to try and stop Taiwan visit, US congressman claims
- Leader of bipartisan congressional delegation says visas to mainland denied because group refused to cancel Taiwan visit
China has been accused of “visa blackmail” by the leader of a US congressional delegation that was reportedly denied entry to the mainland because it also planned to visit Taiwan.
Democratic Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney said in an opinion piece published by The Wall Street Journal on Sunday that Beijing had taken the “extraordinary step” of denying visas to the bipartisan delegation earlier this month “for one reason only” – the group’s planned visit to Taiwan.
Maloney said Chinese officials had informed his staff on multiple occasions that he would be granted a visa only if the Taiwan trip was cancelled. They then demanded he endorse the one-China policy which says Taiwan is a part of China.
“This is visa blackmail, designed to staunch the long-standing tradition of robust US congressional engagement with Taiwan, which is especially critical given the executive branch’s self-imposed limit on official travel,” Maloney wrote. “Ham-handed and obtusely enforced pressure campaigns, such as the one targeting my delegation, will invigorate congressional support for Taiwan.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington and Maloney’s press secretary did not immediately respond to requests for comment.