Kenya has banned Taiwanese passport holders from entering the country, citing that it does not recognize the Taiwanese passports.
In a statement on June 17, Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’oei said any person traveling on a Taiwanese passport would ordinarily be denied entry at Kenya’s borders for lacking proper travel documentation.
“Any person purporting to hold a Taiwanese passport would ordinarily not be allowed through our borders for lacking proper documentation and would not in any event be part of a formal state meeting convened by Kenya government,” said Sing’oei.
The Foreign Affairs PS reiterated that Kenya recognises only one China and maintains its long-standing foreign policy position on the matter.
Kenya Deports Two Taiwanese Delegates
The ban follows accusations by Taiwan that Kenya deported two Taiwanese delegates who had travelled to attend the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, allegedly under pressure from Beijing.
According to Focus Taiwan, the English-language platform of Taiwan’s Central News Agency on June 17, the two delegates were denied entry upon arrival and held by Kenyan immigration officials before being removed from the country.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the scholars were detained for more than 20 hours, during which their passports and mobile phones were confiscated, before they were deported.
The ministry condemned the treatment of the delegates, arguing that restricting their movement and communication amounted to a violation of international norms and human rights.
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Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) said the delegates’ travel authorizations were revoked shortly before their trip and described the incident as an unjustified obstruction.
OAC Minister Kuan Bi-ling criticized the move, saying political considerations should not hinder international cooperation on ocean conservation and governance, particularly at a time when countries are being called upon to work together to address challenges facing the world’s oceans.
Also Read: Leaked Govt Document Exposes Foreign Nationals Issued With Kenyan Passports
Did China and Taiwan Split?
China and Taiwan split in 1949 following the end of the Chinese Civil War, when the Communist Party established the People’s Republic of China on the mainland and the defeated Nationalist government retreated to Taiwan.
Since then, Beijing has regarded Taiwan as part of its territory, while the island has maintained its own government, military and democratic institutions.
Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province and claims it as an inalienable part of its territory.
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