The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) is considering a legal amendment to tighten permanent residency requirements for Hong Kongers.
The changes would extend the minimum period Hong Kongers must stay in Taiwan to become eligible to apply for permanent residency, from one year to at least four years.
The council is considering amending the Regulations Governing Permits for Hong Kong and Macau Residents Entering the Taiwan Area and Setting Up Residence or Registered Permanent Residence in the Republic of China (香港澳門居民進入台灣地區及居留定居許可辦法), a government official said yesterday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
Current regulations stipulate that Hong Kong and Macau residents who have lineal relatives or a spouse with a household registration in Taiwan, have received “overseas compatriot education” or contributed to overseas community affairs before the UK or Portugal ended their governance of the territories, invested more than NT$6 million (US$195,185) in Taiwan, or have passed review by a central competent authority can apply for permanent residency after staying in Taiwan “for a period of time.”
The official said the term “for a period of time” means they can apply for naturalization after staying in Taiwan for one year, which is a “quasi-national treatment,” as other foreign nationals must stay for five years before they can apply for naturalization.
Asked why Hong Kong and Macau residents are given special treatment, the official said the government sympathized with Hong Kongers after the territory was returned to China in 1997.
Hong Kong residents who held a Taiwanese identity card before 1997 were considered Taiwanese citizens, so under the special circumstances, the government at the time granted Hong Kongers “quasi-national treatment,” allowing them to be naturalized after staying in Taiwan for one year, the official said.
Hong Kong and Taiwan had a special relationship, but after Beijing implemented the National Security Law in Hong Kong in 2020, breaking its promise of “one country, two systems,” the territory has not been the same, they said.
Democracy, freedom and human rights no longer exist in Hong Kong, democracy advocates have been jailed, district councilors who support Taiwan or democracy have been disqualified and many people from mainland China have migrated to Hong Kong, the official said.
National security agencies are concerned that China might try to infiltrate Taiwan through Hong Kong, they said.
According to the proposed amendment, Hong Kongers born in Hong Kong and with no relatives in mainland China would need to stay in Taiwan for four years before they can apply for permanent residency, the official said.
Mainland Chinese with permanent residency in Hong Kong would need to stay for at least six years before they can apply, similar to Chinese spouses of Taiwanese, they said.
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
DISPUTE: A Chinese official prompted a formal protest from Tokyo by saying that ‘the dirty head that sticks itself out must be cut off,’ after Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks Four armed China Coast Guard vessels yesterday morning sailed through disputed waters controlled by Japan, amid a diplomatic spat following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan. The four ships sailed around the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) to Taiwan, and which Taiwan and China also claim — on Saturday before entering Japanese waters yesterday and left, the Japan Coast Guard said. The China Coast Guard said in a statement that it carried out a “rights enforcement patrol” through the waters and that it was a lawful operation. As of the end of last month,
RSS