The government is not considering giving an extension to Chinese spouses who fail to submit proof of renouncing their household registration in China by the prescribed deadline, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, adding that they should not test the government’s resolve to enforce the policy.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) has since last month issued more than 12,000 notices asking Chinese spouses and their children to submit proof within three months that they had renounced their household registration in China.
However, many people have reported difficulties in obtaining such a document.
Photo: CNA
The council on April 16 announced that Chinese spouses might apply to substitute this requirement with a written affidavit or request a postponement.
The deadline for filing such applications is June 30.
Of the 12,000 people notified, 1,784 had submitted proof of renouncement, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said at a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, 880 signed a written affidavit, while 352 sought a postponement, Chiu said.
There are also 485 Chinese spouses requesting special assistance and counseling from the council, he said.
Data showed that more than 8,000 of the notified people had yet to take any action, which could cause their household registration to be revoked.
MAC Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) confirmed that the NIA has yet to receive anything from many of the notified people.
However, the council is not considering extending the deadline, he said.
“We understand it might take some time for the NIA to receive all the documents. After applying for the document in China, Chinese spouses would have to have it notarized in China. They would have to mail the notarized documents to the Straits Exchange Foundation in Taiwan, which must verify the authenticity of the documents before turning them over to the NIA,” Liang said.
“We understand some of the documents are still at the foundation, and others are on their way to Taiwan. Many more people are still in the process of applying for documents in China,” Liang said.
Nevertheless, the council does not exclude the possibility of deliberate inaction by some spouses.
“They are probably thinking about doing nothing to test the government’s resolve in this matter... If they choose to do nothing, or fail to show the evidence that they have indeed gone to China and applied for the documents, it would be difficult for us to make an exception for them,” Liang said.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
ENHANCING DETERRENCE: Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and China’s coastal areas without any logistical difficulties Japan is to deploy extended-range anti-ship missiles at a Ground Self-Defense Force base in Kumamoto to bolster its defenses, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday. The upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with a range of more than 1,000km, would be capable of striking targets in the Taiwan Strait and along China’s coast. Originally limited to a few hundred kilometers, the Type 12 was recently modernized ahead of schedule. Deployment, initially slated for next year, has been accelerated after the upgrade was completed sooner than expected, the newspaper said. Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and
The presence of Taiwanese politicians at China’s military parade tomorrow would send the wrong message to Beijing and the international community about Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, a national security official said yesterday. China is to hold the parade tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. By bringing together leaders of “anti-West” governments such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, the parade aims to project a symbolic image of an alliance that is cohesive and unbending against Western countries, the national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu
RSS