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.
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off Yilan at 11:05pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter was located at sea, about 32.3km east of Yilan County Hall, at a depth of 72.8km, CWA data showed There were no immediate reports of damage. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Yilan County area on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. It measured 4 in other parts of eastern, northern and central Taiwan as well as Tainan, and 3 in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, and 2 in Lienchiang and Penghu counties and 1
‘POLITICAL GAME’: DPP lawmakers said the motion would not meet the legislative threshold needed, and accused the KMT and the TPP of trivializing the Constitution The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved a motion to initiate impeachment proceedings against President William Lai (賴清德), saying he had undermined Taiwan’s constitutional order and democracy. The motion was approved 61-50 by lawmakers from the main opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who together hold a legislative majority. Under the motion, a roll call vote for impeachment would be held on May 19 next year, after various hearings are held and Lai is given the chance to defend himself. The move came after Lai on Monday last week did not promulgate an amendment passed by the legislature that
RSS