中華民國的世界通行證

[cah]

外交是國力延伸，在百年國家慶典前夕，外交部送給國人一份大禮──百國
免簽達陣；至今中華民國護照已可在全球117個國家與地區自由通行，台灣民眾成為各國張開雙手歡迎的朋友。

Diplomacy is an extension of national power. On the eve of the ROC's 100th anniversary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given the nation's citizens a big present: visa-free travel (or its equivalent, visas on arrival) to 100 nations. More precisely, there are 117 nations and territories that welcome ROC citizens on their passports alone.

「免簽如同開啟了卡通多啦A夢的『方便門』，只要拿著護照，打開國門立刻就可以出去，省時省錢；更重要的是，讓一般人更有機會到國外體驗不同文化，」旅遊作家溫士凱說，百國免簽是一項非常棒的政績。

企業界則形容中華民國護照此後從「車輪牌（護照上的國徽形狀）」變成快速飛行的「飛輪牌」了。

"Visa-free travel is like the 'Anywhere Door' used by the cartoon character Doraemon," says travel writer Danny Wen. "So long as you have a passport, you can just get up and go, leaving the nation on a moment's notice. It saves time and money, and even more importantly allows more people to go abroad and experience different cultures." Wen characterizes visa-free travel privileges as a major accomplishment of the current government.

Members of the business community, meanwhile, describe it as the "car wheel" (referring to the rotary-shaped sun on the ROC passport) turning into a top-speed "flywheel."

開大門，走大路
Doors wide open

細究這117個免簽與落地簽的國家與地區中，以歐洲43個最多，其次是亞太地區的33個、美洲地區的25個，也就是說，目前除了美國之外，免簽範圍幾乎囊括全球主要的發達國家。

If you look carefully at these 117 nations and territories, the largest numbers of them-43-are found in Europe. Next comes Asia with 33, and then the Americas with 25. Currently, with the exception of the United States, the ranks of those 117 places include almost all of the world's important developed nations.

「外交工作因涉及機密，很多事可做，不可說，以致國人並不清楚外交部做了什麼？但免簽和國人的生活息息相關，這三年的努力應該讓國人了解，」外交部長楊進添說。

"Because foreign affairs work involves classified information, much of it can't be publicized, which leads to a lack of clear understanding about what diplomats are doing," explains Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang. "But visa-free travel directly impacts citizens' lives. ROC citizens ought to know about this three-year effort."

以經過2年交涉終於成功的加拿大來說，台灣是加拿大第12大貿易國，亞洲第4大貿易夥伴，2010年雙邊貿易金額達52億加幣（約台幣1,560億元），主要進口產品如礦石、木漿、皮革等。估計，國人每年赴加拿大觀光、探親、留學約有六萬多人，雙方來往密切。

In the two years of negotiations that led to visa-free travel to Canada, trade was a key factor. Taiwan is Canada's fourth largest trading partner in Asia and 12th largest overall. In 2010 trade between the two nations totaled C$5.2 billion (about NT$156 billion). Major Canadian exports to Taiwan included minerals, wood and leather. According to estimates, more than 60,000 ROC citizens travel to Canada every year to see the sights, visit relatives or study. The people of these two nations have close dealings with each other.


「加拿大一直希望賣牛肉給我們，免簽和牛肉案常被一起提出，但我們努力說服對方單純化，」楊進添說，國人可能不知，加國的外交和貿易是同一個部會（澳洲和韓國也是），必須負責貿易推廣，但進口牛肉可能引發國內負面衝擊，因此外交同仁不斷遊說加國移民部、國會議員，集結台商和僑界力量，最後加國才同意脫勾處理。

"Canada has long wanted to sell us their beef, and they brought up visa-free travel and beef sales together," says Yang. "But we were successful in separating the two issues." Many in the ROC don't realize that trade and foreign affairs fall under the same department in Canada (like in Australia and Korea), Yang explains.

Consequently, its diplomats are also responsible for promoting trade. But allowing beef imports from Canada could have negative impacts on the ROC, so the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continually lobbied Canadian MPs and Canada's immigration department and also focused the power of Taiwanese businesses and the Taiwanese community in Canada. Eventually Canada agreed to deal with the issues separately.

根據觀光局統計，今年1~7月我國前往加國的旅客達四萬一千多人，比去年同期成長11%，顯見免簽效益更高。

According to Tourism Bureau statistics, from January to July of this year, 41,000 ROC citizens flew from Taiwan to Canada. That represents growth of 11% over last year, demonstrating the impact of visa-free travel.

歐盟突破，業績暴增
EU breakthrough

其次，涉及35國的歐盟免簽案更是複雜，外交部從多年前即向歐方爭取免申根簽證，當時歐方官員多認為這是「不可能的任務」。

Negotiating for visa-free travel to the 35 nations of the European Union proved to be even more complicated. Many years previously, the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs had approached the EU about achieving visa-free travel to its Schengen Area. Back then the EU bureaucrats all believed that this was "a mission impossible."

「馬總統上任後，推動活路外交，積極建構大陸政策與對外關係的良性循環，將台海從戰雲密布的雷區扭轉成亞太經貿發展的重要走廊，使我國從國際社會避之唯恐不及的挑釁者，成為各國敞開大門歡迎的模範生，」楊進添說，外交與兩岸沒有主從、位階高低的問題，但兩者關係密切不可分，兩岸關係和緩，讓台灣的國際空間有很大的突破，入歐免簽就是很明顯的例子。

"After President Ma Ying-jeou took office, he adopted a policy of 'flexible diplomacy,'" explains Yang. "President Ma actively constructed a mainland policy and worked to achieve a virtuous cycle in foreign relations, so that the cross-strait relationship, rather than being characterized by tensions and clouds of war, would serve instead as an important conduit for developing Asia-Pacific trade.

From being a troublemaker shunned by international society, Taiwan became a model student welcomed by all." Yang says that neither the cross-strait relationship nor foreign affairs takes precedence over the other. Rather, the two are tightly intertwined. The warming of cross-strait relations allowed the ROC to reach a breakthrough in the international arena. Visa-free travel to Europe is just one obvious example.

歐盟有27個會員國，歐盟體制在里斯本條約生效後，歐洲議會權力大了很多，歐盟會員國又各自有其權力，免簽案從「歐盟執委會」提出修法法案，歐盟理事會、部長會議進行討論通過，再前進到歐洲議會和大會投票表決，經歷15次審議關卡，一路過關斬將，終於在去年11月下旬傳出好消息，也一舉讓免簽國的「業績」暴增。

From the time that visa-free travel for ROC citizens was first proposed by the European Commission, it required separate approvals at 15 different stages. All those hurdles weren't cleared until the end of November 2010, when the news finally came that ROC citizens would no longer need visas for travel to EU nations.

包括其它歐洲國家如西巴爾幹半島，以及歐盟屬地如格陵蘭島、丹麥的法羅群島、法國的聖皮埃與密克隆群島等，在歐盟免簽案通過後，引發骨牌效應，──推牌成功，一舉增加了57個國家與地區。

If you include non-EU European nations, such as several in the Western Balkans, as well as territories belonging to EU countries, such as Denmark's Greenland and the Faroe Islands, and France's St. Pierre and Miquelon, the domino effect from the EU decision resulted in visa-free travel to 57 nations and territories.

這不只是數字亮麗而已，對台商的全球布局更大有幫助。

This isn't just a pretty number. It's made a real difference for Taiwanese businesses abroad.

例如未取得歐洲免簽前，在大陸的台商若要到歐洲洽商，住滿183天者，可以在大陸當地申請簽證，平均要等二、三個禮拜；而未住滿183天者，就要回台申請，一來一往，花的時間更長。

For instance, before visa-free travel to Europe, Taiwanese business people based in mainland China would have to live there for a full 183 days before they could apply for visas to European nations, which would then take an average of two or three weeks to obtain. Those who hadn't resided on the mainland long enough would have to return to Taiwan to make a visa application. It was all very time consuming.

「但商機稍縱即逝，台商的主要對手如韓國因有免簽證，可以立刻飛去，現在台商與其他競爭者至少在立足點上平等了，」楊進添說。

"But business opportunities are fleeting, and competing Korean firms could just hop on a plane and go to Europe," notes Yang. "At least now there's a level playing field."

不是天上掉下來的
A long road

細數爭取免簽的過程，每一個國家的難度都很高。

When you take a close look, you realize there was a high degree of difficulty involved in attaining visa-free status in every instance.

以第100個國家馬來西亞來說，早在2002年我國就給予馬國民眾入境30天的免簽待遇，多年來台馬人民互訪一直不對等。

Take, for instance, Malaysia, the 100th country to offer visa-free travel to ROC citizens. Back in 2002, the ROC gave Malaysian citizens visa-free travel in Taiwan, so for many years there wasn't reciprocal treatment.

「有些國家不同意免簽的理由，如『一個中國政策』，我無法接受。」楊進添部長對他們說，給我們免簽的國家，除了19國與我們有邦交，其餘各國都有自己的「一個中國政策」，他們可以，為什麼你們不能？「國際交往是雙向的，希望貴國認真思考，因為今天中華民國在國際社會上是有立場要求受到認真、正面的看待。」

"As a reason for refusing visa-free travel, some nations offered the 'one-China' policy." Yang recalls. "That's not a valid reason in my opinion." As minister of foreign affairs, Yang would say: Apart from the 19 nations that recognize the Republic of China, there are many other nations with "one-China" policies that nevertheless grant ROC citizens visa-free travel. If they can, why can't you? "International relations are a two-way street," he'd say. "I hope you will seriously consider this matter and earnestly look at our request in a positive light, because the ROC today has a right to receive serious and positive treatment in the international community."

今年，馬來西亞終於有了善意回應，給予我國民眾15天免簽待遇，但外交部還會持續爭取更好的條件。

Eventually, Malaysia granted ROC citizens 15 days of visa-free travel. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still pushing for even better treatment.

又如第114個得到免簽的以色列，因外交環境特殊，對入出境的安全查核非常嚴格。駐以色列代表張良任指出，我國的民主政治與良善法治對免簽案起了關鍵作用；而兩岸關係的改善亦使得駐在國放心與我方加強實質關係。在一年半協商中，外交同仁來往於台拉維夫與耶路撒冷五十多次（相距70公里），不辭艱辛才得以突破，至今以色列也只給予歐洲、美、日、韓、菲等全球五十幾國免簽，可見免簽絕非天上掉下來的禮物。總計，自2008年馬總統上任後，短短三年，我國的免、落簽數字從54個，來到117個，成長幅度高達117%，成果豐碩。

All told, in the three years since ROC President Ma Ying-jeou took office, the number of nations giving ROC citizens visa-free or visa on arrival travel privileges has risen from 54 to 117. That's a substantial accomplishment.

美國免簽在望
US hopes

至於國人期待最深的美國，則是近期鎖定的目標。

There's no destination where ROC citizens would more like to travel without visas than the United States. Achieving that goal has been a focus of recent ROC diplomatic efforts.

楊進添說，美國自911恐怖攻擊事件後對國土安全非常重視，美方給予免簽優惠的基本條件，第一是過去的紀錄，即該國民眾申請美簽遭拒的比例要降到3%以下，去年我們為2.2%；其次是發行晶片護照，內含個人生物特徵，我們也在2008年底開始實施；另外是申請護照必須親領，以確定不被冒領；最後是分享資訊，包括護照遺失、被竊，及反恐情資等，這些條件我們大部分已達成。


Yang points out that the United States has been focused on national security since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Among the conditions that the US has set for granting visa-free travel, the first involves a nation's past record: the visa rejection rate for a nation must be below 3%. Last year the rejection rate for ROC citizens applying for US visas was 2.2%. The next requirement is that the nation must issue biometric passports. The ROC began to issue them at the end of 2008. Finally, there's the matter of sharing data, such as information about lost or stolen passports. The ROC meets almost all of these criteria.

過去國人申報護照遺失後，若在48小時內尋獲，仍能繼續使用，但美方對此有疑慮，認為48小時空窗期足以讓有心人偽變造，並持用潛入美國；為此，外交部已修正措施，現在護照一經掛失，即便尋獲也不得使用。

It used to be that when ROC citizens applied to replace lost passports, they could continue to use the old ones if they found them within 48 hours.

But the United States had misgivings about the policy, believing that the 48-hour window gave criminals the chance to alter passports and enter the United States illegally. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs changed the policy accordingly. Now, as soon as passports are reported missing, they are voided, even if found.

至於外界擔心，美牛問題尚未解決，恐將影響美方的決定。

Many on the outside believe that the unresolved issue of American beef imports could impact the US decision on visas.

楊進添強調，外交部爭取免簽的一貫立場，就是不牽涉其他議題，美方也是基於維護國土安全，評估是否給予免簽，他有信心我國會在年底前成為免簽候選國，明年正式取得免簽優惠。

But Yang stresses that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently taken the position that visa-free travel should not be entangled with any other issues, and the US side has likewise maintained that they are making their decision entirely based on national security issues. Yang is confident that the ROC will be listed as a candidate for visa-free travel to the United States by the end of this year and will formally obtain that status next year.

「台灣的政治、經濟、國際人道援助、高科技成果享有聲名，百國免簽的突破，更證明我們是讓人感動，受人尊敬的國家，希望國人珍惜這個國際的禮遇，」楊進添說。　

"Taiwan has a good reputation with regard to its government, economy, international assistance efforts, and high-tech products. This breakthrough of visa-free travel to 100 nations further demonstrates how we have touched people and earned their respect as a nation," Yang says. "I hope that ROC citizens will treasure this gift from the international community."