Military, government employees prohibited from holding Chinese residence permits – Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan: Safeguarding national security.

The Mainland Affairs Council of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stated that in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s disruption of the household registration system across the Taiwan Strait, the government is carrying out special advocacy and investigation for current military and civil servants to maintain national security, so that all nationals can be at ease.

President Tsai held a national security high-level meeting on the 13th, revealing various united front activities by the CCP towards Taiwan. The threats to national security have become increasingly severe, especially with the CCP taking more actions towards Taiwan’s “integration development”, actively enticing people to settle and register in mainland China, allowing them to retain their Taiwan identity cards, thereby blurring individuals’ identification with the nation. Relevant government agencies must comprehensively review existing laws, establish defense mechanisms, and effectively regulate to reduce communication risks and reshape a healthy and orderly environment for exchanges.

The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan explained that to safeguard national security and interests, the “Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area” clearly stipulates the “one household registration system across the strait,” which is a crucial foundation for maintaining the order of personnel exchanges between the two sides.

In recent years, the CCP has deliberately undermined the “one household registration system across the strait,” which is a serious challenge to the laws of the Republic of China, and a deliberate attempt to disrupt the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, creating disorderly conditions for personnel exchanges between the two sides, seriously affecting social stability in Taiwan. The current investigation into current military and civil servants applying for relevant CCP identification documents is entirely due to the CCP’s disruption of the status quo, and the government must actively respond to this duty and take action.

According to the current Cross-Strait regulations, the Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan explained that if a national obtains Chinese mainland citizenship, they will lose their citizenship in Taiwan as well and will be ineligible to serve in the military or as a civil servant. From 2014 to the end of 2023, a total of 676 individuals who had dual citizenship were deregistered, but none of them were current military or civil servants.

The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan stated that in order to maintain national security, ensure the public’s trust in governmental authority, a special advocacy and investigation campaign has been initiated since February this year to ensure lawful employment practices.

The purpose of this special investigation is fourfold: to advocate legal compliance, understand the current situation, encourage voluntary reporting, and provide prompt assistance in resolving any issues. The government encourages individuals holding relevant documents to actively participate in this investigation by “voluntarily reporting and voluntarily surrendering.” It is also hoped that current military and civil servants will “honestly fill out forms and truthfully declare” to avoid serious negative impacts on personal rights due to future investigations and discoveries.

In addition to meeting positive qualifications such as education background and passing national exams, military and civil servants must not have negative qualifications such as dual citizenship, Chinese mainland citizenship, or deprivation of civil rights according to the law. Military and civil servants bear the heavy responsibility of defending the country, exercising public power, and educating students, and must gain the trust of the people; the law also imposes a duty of loyalty to the nation and its citizens.

Furthermore, regarding the “residence permit,” the Mainland Affairs Council clarified that the permit disregards Taiwan’s sovereignty, diminishes Taiwan, and views ROC citizens as its own, distorting national identity, and causing confusion in the identification of people on both sides.

The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan emphasized that even if current laws do not explicitly prohibit it, in line with policy requirements, the government will never allow current military and civil servants to cooperate with CCP united front activities towards Taiwan by obtaining CCP residence permits. Current military and civil servants cannot meet CCP requirements for residing in a city for more than 6 months with legal and stable residence, employment, or continuous study. If current personnel hold CCP residence permits, their respective agencies or institutions have the responsibility to clarify whether there are significant loopholes in personnel attendance or management systems relating to visits to the mainland.

The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan emphasized that government agencies, institutions, and schools will conduct verifications on personnel qualifications and activities prohibited by law, which is an internal personnel management right of the government, not violating legal principles nor infringing on academic freedom or campus autonomy. Verification minimally affects individuals and is the most cost-effective method of implementation.

The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan stated that if individuals refuse to cooperate with this special investigation, the government will not penalize them. Given the vast public service system and complex legal relationships between various personnel and the government, this special investigation will prioritize core military and civil personnel. The Council will subsequently work with relevant agencies to discuss and establish a normalized and institutionalized personnel management mechanism to fully comply with legal regulations.

The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan once again expressed gratitude to the vast majority of military and civil servants for their support of this special investigation and highly cooperating with national policies. According to the Council’s latest public opinion polls, over 70% of the population supports the government’s current investigation and advocacy work.

To protect national security, the Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan stated that actively countering the CCP’s infiltration through united front tactics towards Taiwan is an obligation for all military and civil servants. It is vital for them to comply with national laws and policies and actively participate in government investigations, demonstrating loyalty and love for Taiwan. Loyalty and patriotism are everyone’s responsibility; upholding legal obligations transcends personal interests. The government is committed to doing the right thing, steadfastly safeguarding national security, so that all citizens can be at ease.