Taiwan should show the value it places on human rights by treating Chinese spouses and students living in the nation fairly, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said yesterday.
Wang said that while Taiwan repeatedly urges China to value human rights, Taiwan needs to treat Chinese spouses and students living in Taiwan in an equitable way.
The government wants to balance the rights of foreign and Chinese spouses in Taiwan, he said during a public hearing at the legislature for two proposed bills related to the rights of Chinese spouses.
The council is seeking to amend Article 17 of 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) to shorten from six years to four the length of time Chinese spouses of Taiwanese nationals must wait before they can obtain Republic of China citizenship.
“I will continue to push for the passage of the bill as long as I remain mainland affairs minister,” Wang said.
The Taiwan Solidarity Union, meanwhile, has proposed amending Article 21 of the same act to limit the rights of Chinese spouses to engage in politics in Taiwan, even after they become citizens.
Zhan Xiuying (湛秀英), head of an immigrant group in Greater Kaohsiung, urged political parties not to “see Chinese spouses from a political point of view.”
“Chinese spouses are not enemies or people from an enemy country. They are the daughters-in-law, wives and mothers of Taiwanese,” she said, adding that giving Chinese spouses their rightful status is the “best way to educate the next generation.”
Wang Zhin-sheng (王智盛), an assistant professor at National Quemoy University’s Department of Ocean and Border Governance, said the issue of whether to shorten the time Chinese spouses must wait to obtain citizenship should be considered on the basis of the nation’s overall immigration policy.
He said Taiwan could establish a strict evaluation process, but once the nation permitted Chinese to marry Taiwanese and live in Taiwan, they were entitled to the same rights as other foreign spouses.
Bruce Liao (廖元豪), an associate professor at National Chengchi University’s College of Law, said not all Chinese spouses support the same Taiwanese political party and that fair treatment is one of the first steps for political parties to win the recognition of Chinese spouses.
However, Shih Cheng-feng (施正鋒), a professor at Tamkang University’s Department of Public Administration, said that most countries design their immigration policies taking into consideration their unique national conditions.
China is an enemy country and has never renounced its ambition to take over Taiwan, he said, adding that Taiwan needs to remain alert.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS