TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's government agency overseeing cross-strait relations, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會), issued a significant directive Wednesday (April 23) that could affect thousands of Taiwanese with ties to China. The new regulation clarifies that citizens who establish household registration in mainland China (the People's Republic of China) will forfeit their Taiwanese identity under the "Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area."
The directive specifically interprets Article 9-1, Paragraph 1 of the cross-strait relations act, which explicitly prohibits Taiwanese citizens from establishing household registration or obtaining passports in China. Officials emphasized that even acquiring a Chinese residence permit enables individuals to register for permanent residency and obtain identity documentation nearly identical to that issued to Chinese citizens.
In recent weeks, the MAC has coordinated with Taiwan's Ministry of Civil Service (MOC, 銓敘部) and the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration (DGPA, 人事總處) to intensify scrutiny of military personnel and civil servants potentially holding Chinese documentation. Officials from the MAC warned that Beijing's issuance of such documents to Taiwanese citizens represents a deliberate attempt to undermine Taiwan's sovereignty and destabilize its social fabric.
The directive aligns with broader national security concerns voiced by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in March. Following a high-level security meeting on March 13, Lai announced 17 comprehensive national security strategies, emphasizing rigorous oversight of identity documents. The president specifically highlighted the obligation of loyalty that military personnel and civil servants owe to Taiwan, suggesting heightened consequences for those maintaining dual allegiances. ★
