This photo shows a city view of Kampala, Uganda. Photo: Xinhua

Travelers from the Taiwan region are being cautioned against traveling to Uganda after reports that several Taiwan residents had their travel documents issued by the Taiwan authorities seized or were denied entry in early August, amid a series of moves recently in Africa related to the one-China principle. A mainland expert noted that the more "Taiwan independence" forces seek international space, the narrower their room for maneuver will become.

According to Taiwan regional media outlet United Daily News (UDN) on Saturday, a Taiwan resident holding a valid Ugandan work permit had his so-called "passport" confiscated by Ugandan immigration officials on August 3 after arriving at Entebbe International Airport (EBB) on a domestic flight. The officials cited a "new policy" but have yet to return the "passport." 

In a separate but similar incident, another Taiwan regional resident was also denied entry by Ugandan immigration officials at EBB and deported on the same flight, according to UDN.

The two incidents occurred at the same airport within a short period of time, with the authorities' actions escalating from the confiscation of travel documents to outright denial of entry and deportation, a travel agency was quoted by the report as saying.

The developments suggest that the measures being taken by Ugandan authorities may go beyond isolated incidents and could represent a systematic pattern of enforcement targeting people from the region, with signs that the situation is "continuing to escalate," per the report by UDN.

However, so-called Taiwan regional foreign affairs authorities stated that the relevant cases may be connected with the measure rolled out by the Taiwan region to temporarily suspend visa issuance to Ugandan nationals and bar their entry amid the worsening Ebola epidemic, according to Taiwan's local media CNA, adding it will keep negotiating with Uganda and offer support to impacted people.

Prior to this incident, several African countries had already adjusted their wording and entry policies concerning Taiwan region. According to a previous UDN report in July, on the registration page for South Africa's Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, Taiwan is listed as "Taiwan, China" in the dropdown menu for place of issue of travel documents. Similarly, the international dialing code +886 is marked "Taiwan, China" under the phone number section.

That same month, the Moroccan Embassy in Japan suspended its Visa Confirmation Letter (VCL) review process for travelers from Taiwan region starting July 23, while the regional authorities stopped accepting visa applications from Moroccan nationals in retaliation, according to CNA.

But some netizens from the island commented that they had "gotten used to this situation". One remarked, "It was Papua New Guinea a few days ago, and now Morocco again. Taiwan's foreign affairs department sure has an easier job these days."

After the government of Papua New Guinea announced the closure of the "Taipei Economic Office in Papua New Guinea," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian also said during a press conference on July 16 that China highly commends the decision and it demonstrates once again that upholding the one-China principle is where international public opinion trends and the arc of history bends. 

Earlier in April, three African countries, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked flight permit to cross their countries without prior warnings before regional leader Lai Ching-te's planned trip to Eswatini.

Zheng Jian, a professor at the Graduate Institute for Taiwan Studies at Xiamen University in East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has pushed to internationalize the Taiwan question and expand "Taiwan independence" activities abroad, directly challenging the one-China principle widely upheld by the international community and provoking pushback.

International community, including African countries, would not choose to support "Taiwan independence" in their diplomatic decisions, and the more the separatists seek international space, the narrower their room for maneuver will become, the expert noted.

Against the backdrop of the one-China principle, attributing such entry restrictions solely to the Ebola-related policy would amount to misplaced wishful thinking, he said. In truth, DPP authorities should not ignore that all the setbacks Taiwan region faces internationally nowadays are brought about by "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, Zheng said.

A spokesperson from Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Zhang Han, said during a press conference on July 22 that facts have proven time and again that the one-China principle is a basic norm governing international relations and a universal consensus among the international community. 

"Upholding the one-China principle aligns with righteousness and represents the irresistible historical trend. A just cause gains wide support, whereas an unjust one garners little backing. The DPP authorities stubbornly adhere to their separatist 'Taiwan independence' stance. Acting against the tide of history, they will only encounter repeated setbacks internationally," Zhang added.