The foreign ministry is urging Taiwanese nationals traveling abroad to respect local laws.
The call comes after an incident Monday in which Vietnamese authorities held the passport of a visiting Taiwanese lawmaker. DPP lawmaker Su Chih-feng was allegedly planning to visit members of a Vietnamese dissident organization. Taiwan’s representative office in the country secured the return of Su’s passport through emergency talks with local authorities. The foreign ministry has declined to comment on Su’s alleged plans to meet with an anti-government group.
Vietnam’s representative to Taiwan, Tran Duy Hai, said Tuesday that Su had entered Vietnam on a tourist visa but had planned to visit a Taiwanese-built steel plant that has been blamed for serious pollution. Tran said people traveling to Vietnam on a tourist visa are not allowed to deviate from their itinerary. However, Tran said that after talks with Taiwanese representatives, local authorities decided to allow Su to continue with her planned journey.
The foreign ministry said Tuesday that the Taiwanese representative office in Vietnam helped Su and local authorities communicate. However, the ministry said Taiwanese nationals should follow local regulations when traveling overseas.