Some 100,000 Taiwanese have applied for Chinese residence: MAC

ROC Central News Agency

2019/05/06 17:30:54

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) Around 100,000 Taiwanese nationals have applied for Chinese residence since the mainland authorities began in September last year to issue residence permits to Taiwanese people working or living in China, the head of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Monday.

Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) was responding to questions from opposition Kuomintang lawmaker Lin Li-chan (林麗蟬) at a legislative hearing about the Residency Card of the People's Republic of China.

Beijing's issuance of the cards to Taiwanese, as well as those from Hong Kong and Macau, who have been legally living, working, or studying in China for more than six months, is seen by some as a political tactic to gain support among Taiwanese.

At the Legislative Yuan, Chen said that those who have acquired a Chinese Residency Card but have failed to report it to the relevant authorities in Taiwan, could be punished with fines ranging from NT$10,000 (US$323) to NT$50,000 in the future, once relevant laws have been amended.

He said the MAC has an open mind on the need of Taiwanese studying or working in China for a residence permit, but emphasized that they must register their card in Taiwan.

However, once such document holders return to Taiwan and want to seek a position in the public sector, they will "have to wait for a certain period of time," said Chen, adding that the actual time frame is still being discussed.

To manage Chinese Residency Card holders, the MAC has proposed an amendment bill for the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, setting penalties and regulations constraining the citizenship of Taiwanese holding the residence of China.

The amendment bill is pending Cabinet approval prior to being delivered to the Legislative Yuan for review.

(By Liu Kuan-ting and Elizabeth Hsu)
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