The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has amended rules for officials visiting China’s special administrative regions in a bid to curb Chinese influence in Taiwan and protect Taiwanese officials, sources said yesterday.
The amendments to the Regulations for Executive Yuan and Affiliated Organizations and Agencies on Visiting Hong Kong or Macau (行政院及所屬各機關(構)人員赴香港或澳門注意事項) would require those visiting either of the two cities for “non-official reasons” to file reports to the government before and after such visits, the sources said.
Those who travel to the cities without reporting could face disciplinary action, they added.
Photo: Taipei Times
In March, President William Lai (賴清德) sought to address China’s “united front” efforts and other national security threats by announcing 17 countermeasures, including a mandatory disclosure system for all central and local government officials participating in exchanges with China.
The MAC also reviewed laws that it said took into account changes in Hong Kong and Macau.
With Beijing tightening its control over the two cities and reducing their autonomy, it is necessary to bolster risk awareness and disclosure requirements to mitigate potential risks to government personnel during visits to those territories, the sources said.
The main points of the revised rules include the addition of mandatory reporting for non-official travel to Hong Kong or Macau, and for meetings or contacts with specific people from those regions, they said.
The council has also updated related forms to enhance risk management, protect government confidentiality and personal safety, and safeguard national interests and security, they added.
The amendments introduce changes to articles 3 and 4 of the regulations, they said, adding that the revisions would be submitted to the Executive Yuan for approval and implementation.
“As the risks of visiting China, Hong Kong and Macau continue to grow, Taiwan will further strengthen its system of managing government personnel,” they said.
The MAC has already requested the support of the Ministry of Civil Service and the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, they added.
Separately, the MAC has proposed amendments to the Rules Governing the Enforcement of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職選罷法施行細則).
The proposal, which follows discussions between the MAC and the Central Election Commission (CEC) last month, would require candidates for public office to submit a written affidavit declaring that they do not hold household registration in China.
This is to meet the requirements 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), which stipulates that those running for office in Taiwan cannot hold household registration, residency or citizenship in China, the MAC said.
The Ministry of the Interior also suggested that the content of these affidavits be published in the official election bulletin and proposed updates to the candidate registration questionnaire.
The interior ministry’s proposal is facilitated by existing laws requiring the publication of candidates’ personal data in election bulletins, the CEC said, adding that it would use the proposal as a basis for further coordination with the MAC, the interior ministry and other agencies.
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