Listed exhibitors say permits were left pending with no formal rejection, repeating an April freeze at Taipei AMPA.
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SCMP spoke to two mainland residents at listed exhibitors and a third mainland citizen employed by a multinational, all speaking anonymously, given the political sensitivity, who described their applications stuck in limbo while colleagues from other regions were given access. Two travel agencies that handle cross-strait trips told SCMP that none of their clients, including official exhibitors, secured approvals this year.
Emdoor, a mainland VR and electronics maker that has exhibited at Computex for more than a decade, was an exception and said it obtained permits without difficulty. Taiwan's National Immigration Agency, which processes the applications, told SCMP it "reviews such applications in accordance with established procedures and consults with the relevant authorities."
Mainland nationals need travel documents from both Beijing and Taipei, and the people who spoke to SCMP said the Beijing side wasn’t the holdup. Since 2023, mainlanders have been able to apply directly to the National Immigration Agency for short-term exhibition permits, but anyone whose sponsor or activity touches high-tech sectors such as semiconductors must first secure separate special approval, according to advisories from immigration law firms Fragomen and BAL.
Those advisories also note that the number of staff a company may send is capped under revenue-based quotas. That being a discretionary decision, rather than an outright ban, is what allows Taiwanese authorities to indefinitely delay an application without having to officially reject it.
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Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/mainland-chinese-exhibitors-locked-out-of-computex-2026#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/subscription
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.