Minister of the Interior Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) yesterday said the government plans to introduce national identity cards with integrated circuits (IC) within one year.
Responding to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator William Tseng’s (曾銘宗) question at the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee meeting, Yeh said it is possible to add an IC to a natural person certificate, but other functions are pending research.
The Ministry of the Interior must carefully evaluate the rights and responsibilities of various government bodies regarding IC cards, Yeh said, adding that the ministry is planning to hold public forums and seek public feedback by telephone.
In response to concerns about information security, the ministry has said that it would not hastily promote the card and would safeguard individuals privacy and respect the principle of individual autonomy.
The ministry wants to implement IC cards to bring Taiwan in line with the worldwide trend of issuing digital identification, Yeh said.
However, while the ministry wishes to conform with trends it hopes to maintain good communication with the public before implementing the new card, he said.
While in theory the cards could incorporate health insurance and passport information, which would be an optimal solution, the ministry has to first consider the habits of the public, as well as information security, Yeh said.
“Taiwan must make progress in several key areas, but a responsible government must carefully research and discuss [proposed changes],” Yeh said, adding that the Executive Yuan must make the final decision on IC cards, as their implementation would involve several government agencies.
The new cards might have spousal and parental information on the IC rather than printed on them, Yeh said, adding its is one of the issues it would put to the public.
No contractors have been selected to develop the IC card system as yet, but the ministry would place strong emphasis on transparency and data protection, Yeh said.
“The selection process will be reasonable and fair, but we have to be sure there is nothing to worry about in terms of information security,” Yeh said.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is pushing for residents of Kinmen and Lienchiang counties to acquire Chinese ID cards in a bid to “blur national identities,” a source said. The efforts are part of China’s promotion of a “Kinmen-Xiamen twin-city living sphere, including a cross-strait integration pilot zone in China’s Fujian Province,” the source said. “The CCP is already treating residents of these outlying islands as Chinese citizens. It has also intensified its ‘united front’ efforts and infiltration of those islands,” the source said. “There is increasing evidence of espionage in Kinmen, particularly of Taiwanese military personnel being recruited by the
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