Taipei: Taiwan will remove Cambodia from two visa facilitation programs on Aug. 1, while extending eased entry arrangements for Thailand, India, and several other Southeast and South Asian countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday. Cambodian nationals will no longer be eligible for the Guanhong Project, which eases visa requirements for certain tour groups, or the Travel Authorization Certificate program, which offers conditional visa-free entry, the ministry stated. According to Focus Taiwan, the decision follows Cambodia's failure to reciprocate Taiwan's goodwill and its alignment with China in statements undermining Taiwan's sovereignty. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also accused Cambodia of supporting Beijing's potential use of force in seeking unification with Taiwan. Furthermore, Cambodia's connections to recent cross-border fraud cases have raised public concern, influencing the decision to remove Cambodia from the visa facilitation programs. Cambodia has been a part of the two programs since 2018. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that any resumption of visa facilitation for Cambodia would depend on future changes in Cambodia's policy toward Taiwan. Meanwhile, Taiwan announced the extension of visa-free entry for nationals of Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines for one year, through July 31, 2027. Additionally, nationals of India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos will continue to be eligible for the Guanhong Project and Travel Authorization Certificate program for another year, through Dec. 31, 2027, as per the ministry's statement.
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