A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker has proposed an amendment to 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 allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six.
KMT Legislator Yu Hao (游顥) said all foreign spouses who come to live in Taiwan are putting down roots and raising children, which bolsters the population and contributes to cultural exchanges.
“We should see the positive impact of foreign spouses and not see it in political terms. Although they are all from other countries, Chinese spouses take longer to become citizens. This is discrimination,” Yu said.
Photo: Lin Liang-sheng, Taipei Times
“On the principle of equality for all citizens under the Constitution, we should apply the same statutes under the Immigration Act [入出國及移民法] to Chinese spouses and spouses from other countries,” he said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said the proposed amendment would result in a severe national security crisis, as Chinese spouses could collude with Beijing to alter Taiwan’s demographic composition.
The Chinese government has used such a “population restocking” strategy to suppress Tibetans and Uighurs in their home regions, shifting the demographic balance and political and economic power in favor of Chinese, she said, adding that the ploy is now aimed at Taiwan.
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Mach Ngoc Tran (麥玉珍), who is originally from Vietnam and acquired Taiwanese citizenship through marriage, had last year tried to reduce the period required to acquire Taiwanese citizenship through “underhanded” means by proposing amendments to the New Immigrants Basic Act (新住民基本法), Wu said.
Mach used the situation of Southeast Asian spouses to justify shortening the waiting period for Chinese to four years, but the DPP caucus blocked it from proceeding, she said.
“In reality, the conditions for spouses from other countries are far more strict,” she said.
Chinese spouses do not have to take a qualification exam and do not need to give up their citizenship, which is required for spouses from other countries. Conditions for those coming from China are already very lenient and favorable,” Wu said.
“Spouses of other countries must stay [in Taiwan] at least 138 days per year to be qualified and it would take eight years for them to obtain citizenship, while Chinese spouses only need six years,” she said.
“If Chinese spouses can support Taiwan’s social culture, rule of law and democratic framework, and are willing to take the qualification exam and give up their Chinese citizenship, we would be open to discussing changes,” she added.
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