Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) on Saturday suggested amending the law to align residency permit requirements for people from Hong Kong and Macau with those for people from China, to prevent Chinese Communist Party (CCP) infiltration.
He suggested amending the Act Governing Relations with Hong Kong and Macau (香港澳門關係條例) to extend the required period of living in Taiwan from more than one year to more than six years.
People from Hong Kong and Macau applying for a residency permit in Taiwan should also renounce their original nationality, the amendment says.
Photo: Reuters
The amendments were proposed after President William Lai (賴清德) last month said that the government would incorporate national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Chinese who apply for permanent residency in Taiwan are required to renounce their Chinese household registration and passport, as the law does not allow dual citizenship, Wang said adding that additional regulations should be considered for applicants from Hong Kong and Macau.
People from Hong Kong and Macau who come to Taiwan after marriage, to invest or for work have been able to apply for a permanent residency as soon as the second year after moving to Taiwan.
However, the CCP has increased its control over Hong Kong and Macau, with many residents from China settling in Hong Kong and taking advantage of Taiwan’s special immigration requirement, to infiltrate Taiwan, he said.
Wang and DPP Legislator Wang Mei-hui (王美惠) proposed ammendments to Article 12 of the Act Governing Relations with Hong Kong and Macau to stipulate that the residency application for Hong Kong and Macau should be the same as for China, based on Article 17 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例).
The bill is listed for report and discussion at the Legislative Yuan tomorrow.
According to the law, Chinese spouses of Taiwanese must reside in Taiwan for at least four years, during which they must reside in the country for no less than 183 days every year, to be eligible to apply for long-term residency. They would be allowed to apply for permanent residency after living in Taiwan for two consecutive years.
Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) had previously said that discussions on 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) have been ongoing for several years.
However, given the complexity and sensitivity of the issue, the council would proceed cautiously, under the principles of defending national security and healthy comprehensive exchanges between Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, he said.
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