Taiwan minister's visa 'sensitive', says Goff

By HELEN TUNNAH

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff says "political sensitivities" existed around the visit here by a Taiwanese minister after Australia indicated the politician was not welcome.

Mr Goff denied Mr Lin Yi-Fu had been refused a visa to visit here with a business delegation next week, although a senior diplomatic official told Taiwan it might be wise to postpone the trip.

"In the wake of the Australian decline, it would have become a political issue," Mr Goff said yesterday.

A political row over Mr Lin's canned trip has prompted criticism of the Government in Parliament, with United Future, the Green Party and Act all accusing Labour of "kowtowing" to China while chasing a trade deal. The New Zealand-Taiwan Business Council said in a statement yesterday it was "very disappointed in this turn of events".

Mr Lin applied on August 17 for a visa to visit New Zealand with a trade and business delegation which intended to then visit Australia.

On August 26, Australian authorities indicated Mr Lin would not be granted a visa.

A day later, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade deputy secretary Mike Green told Taiwanese officials that in those circumstances, any visit here was likely to become political.

On Monday this week the application for a visa was withdrawn, and the conference postponed.

Mr Goff said sensitivities between China and Taiwan existed, and New Zealand was also involved in "quite sensitive economic talks with China" over a free-trade agreement.

United Future leader Peter Dunne said the incident raised questions about the autonomy of New Zealand's foreign policy. "Since when has New Zealand foreign affairs policy been set in Canberra?"

Green Party co-leader Rod Donald said the decision had been driven solely by a fear of upsetting China and derailing free-trade talks.

Act's foreign affairs spokesman, Ken Shirley, said: "While a closer and enhanced trading relationship with China is welcome, we should not kowtow to unreasonable expectations and demands from Beijing."

PDF version

The Gateway to China conference is co-sponsored by the New Zealand Herald.