On October 7th, a Taiwanese woman who was flying from Taipei to Los Angeles suddenly went into labor. Thanks to doctors aboard the plane, she was able to deliver a healthy baby girl.
While this sounds like good news, Taiwan has been extremely angered by the situation.
Some people have asked why the woman was allowed to fly so late into her pregnancy and why she was flying to the United States in the first place.
A prominent theory says that the woman was quickly trying to get into the United States so that her child would be granted American citizenship. This allegation often contains the supporting rumor that the woman lied about her pregnancy in order to fly.
The woman might be billed for her trouble, as the China Airlines flight had to be diverted to Alaska.
The woman who birthed the baby has not yet been identified.
Reports indicate that the woman was deported back to Taiwan last Saturday. She refused to respond to media interviews. Meanwhile, the baby girl is still reportedly in the United States, being cared for by a friend of the woman.
Back in Taiwan, citizens want to know if tax money had been spent on diverting the plane to Alaska. China Airlines allegedly lost tens of thousands of dollars in the incident.
Many individuals argue that the woman should be held responsible for this.
Additionally, China Airlines says that it does not allow passengers who are more than 32 weeks pregnant to fly unless they present a doctor’s note. Reports indicate that the woman did not have a doctor’s note, and she claimed she was in an earlier stage of pregnancy.
The incident has sparked public outcry about the phenomenon of “birth tourism”. Babies who are born in the United States are granted American citizenship.
This rule has attracted thousands of women from across the world. Pregnant women are allowed to visit the United States using a tourist visa as long as they meet certain requirements and pay for their own medical care.
In Taiwan, many people are worried about the area’s political future. The people of Taiwan are extremely against a possible reunification with China. The Taiwanese have experienced a rise in nationalism lately, as they want to be recognized as their own individual country.
Many Taiwanese women participating in “birth tourism” have said in the past that they would rather have their children be considered citizens of the United States than citizens of China.
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