produced yesterday one of Ma's old passports, demonstrating that the presidential hopeful did apply for visas while visiting the U.S. in the early 1990s. The spokesperson made the comments that afternoon in response to ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's sustained accusations that Ma has held a U.S. green card until recently.
After biding his time for two days, Hsieh unveiled that morning the number of Ma's alleged green card -- A XXX30786 -- stressing that the aforesaid card is still valid.
He further accused Ma Ying-jeou of travelling at least once a year to the U.S. in order to extend the validity of the precious document, while concealing the true nature of his annual visits to former President Chiang Ching-kuo.
Ma Ying-jeou returned to Taiwan in 1981 to teach law and work as one of former President Chiang Ching-kuo's personal translators after seven consecutive years of study in the United States.
"The validity of a green card is based on U.S. laws, not on Frank Hsieh's interpretation of the laws," said Wang Yu-chi, campaign spokesperson for Ma Ying-jeou, stressing that Hsieh is a lawyer by training.
Yu provided one of Ma's old passports to support his argument. The document clearly shows that between November 1992 and February 1994, or for 15 months, Ma Ying-jeou did not enter the United States.
The same document also displays U.S. immigration officials' seals marking Ma's entry or exit from the United States.
"If (a green card holder) stays out of the U.S. for more than a year, the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) takes the position that residency has been abandoned," Wang read out loud from an excerpt of the U.S. law guiding regulations on "Permanent Resident Status."
Meanwhile, an official from the American Institute in Taiwan said that afternoon that a green card's number is assigned by U.S. authorities for life, and it applies to all official documents submitted by the concerned parties, namely applying for permanent residency, U.S. citizenship or a U.S. passport.
He added that the existence of a green card's number, and the validity of a green card, are two different things.
