The Executive Yuan is mulling amending the law to bar Taiwanese who have Chinese residency cards from government posts related to national security, an official said yesterday.
The planned changes are part of a broader government proposal to amend the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), the official said on condition of anonymity.
The Executive Yuan believes that Taiwanese who hold or have held Chinese residency cards should be permanently disqualified from jobs at the National Security Bureau, the integrity of which is paramount, the official added.
Photo: CNA
They would also not be allowed to work for the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Military Police Command, the Investigation Bureau, the Coast Guard Administration or the National Police Administration, but the agencies would be allowed to hire such people 10 years after they renounce their Chinese residency, the official said.
The proposal would also impose a broader ban on residents of China in Taiwan’s civil service, armed forces, law enforcement, public education and state-owned enterprises, the official said.
The ban would be lifted five years after they renounce their Chinese residency, the official added.
The Cabinet has ruled out suggestions by some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers to revoke the citizenship of Taiwanese who apply for residency in China, the official said.
Revoking the citizenship of Taiwanese students who apply for residency in China out of convenience or children born to parents who work there was deemed unfair, they said, adding that strict scrutiny would be exercised when drafting national security laws.
Sources said that after the Cabinet briefed DPP lawmakers about the matter on Monday last week, most of them agreed that strict restrictions should be implemented for employment at the National Security Bureau.
However, views were mixed about the proposed restrictions for the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Military Police Command, the Investigation Bureau and the Coast Guard Administration, with some lawmakers deeming the proposed time restriction on former residents of China as too lenient.
The Mainland Affairs Council and the DPP caucus policy work group are trying to forge a consensus among party members before a final proposed draft is put forward, group convener Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS