Taipei Times
Date: Sep 25, 2015
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter
Pro-independence groups yesterday rallied outside the Executive Yuan to call for the
resignation of Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國), following China’s decision to unilaterally replace the “Taiwan compatriot permit” (台胞證) with electronic cards.
“There is no way we can tolerate this kind of a premier,” 908 Taiwan Republic Campaign director Chen Chun-han (陳峻涵) said, criticizing Mao for saying that he only learned about China’s decision through media reports.
Chen said the Ministry of the Interior’s push to unify Taiwan’s National Identification Card with other government-issued ID cards might be connected with China’s electronic card push.
The “Taiwan compatriot permit” paper booklet is issued by the Chinese government and serves as the primary identification document for Taiwanese traveling in China. Following the Chinese announcement, people applying for a new “Taiwan compatriot permit” are issued an electronic card; existing paper permits remain valid until their expiry date, Beijing said. [FULL STORY]