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China-based Taiwanese must choose

Among numerous revisions approved by the Legislature on Thursday to the Statute Governing the Relations between the People of the Taiwan area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例) was the new rule on the establishment of the unitary census registration system (單一戶籍制).

Under this regulation, Taiwanese who register their households in China -- or who hold People's Republic of China (PRC) passports -- will forfeit their Republic of China (ROC) citizenship.

"This measure is in place in a bid to pragmatically solve potential issues or conflicts that might arise for those who hold dual citizenship in both Taiwan and China," said Jeff Yang (楊家駿), director of the Mainland Affairs Council's (MAC) Legal Affairs Department.

In June, the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress passed the "National Identification Card Law" which gave residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan the option of applying for Chinese ID cards -- if they had households registered in China.

Yang noted that there are several China-based Taiwanese who currently hold PRC-issued passports or who have registered their households in China, but he declined to give an estimate of how many individuals were involved.

Once these individuals choose to renounce their Taiwanese citizenship to apply for citizenship in China, the law will deprive them their right to vote, to run for public office, to receive National Health Insurance coverage or to receive social welfare benefits.

Retired public officials who register their households in China without permission will have their government pensions suspended

"But they have the chance to get back their Taiwanese citizenship if they give up their PRC ID and passports," Yang said.

According to Yang, an initial grace period of six months (counting from the first day of the law's implementation) will be granted for those who wish to give up their PRC household registrations and passports and get back their Taiwan citizenship.

"After the six-month grace period, those who wish to get back their Taiwanese citizenship will have to apply for permission before they are allowed to have their Taiwanese citizenship restored," he said.

"Conscientious and careful measures are currently being deliberated by the Ministry of the Interior in this regard," he said.

Noting that the law was passed this past Thursday, Yang said that the law still needs to undergo procedural administrative steps before it can be promulgated by the Executive Yuan and implemented.

Some have expressed concerns that some of these Chinese ID holders would apply to have their Taiwanese citizenship restored for the sole purpose of voting during the election, after which they would then return to China and and resume their Chinese ID and citizenship.

Yang said that "relevant government agencies will work to map out supplementary measures to prevent individuals from abusing the policy."

"Of course we can't rule out the possibility where one might get away with dual citizenship," Yang said. "But we will work to outline surveillance measures to take care of such concerns."

Yang said that such measures could include requiring returnees to submit documents certifying that the individuals had renounced their Chinese registration and passports.

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