Taipei Times
Date: Sep 19, 2018
By: Chiu Yan-ling and Jonathan Chin  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Taiwan must consider Chinese residency status a form of Chinese citizenship or risk becoming a local government subordinate to Beijing, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said on Sunday.

Beijing on Sept. 1 began implementing a regulation that makes some Taiwanese eligible for Chinese residency cards, which would incorporate cardholders into the same identification system used for Chinese citizens.

Asked about the policy, Kuan, who is head of a DPP policy group on the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee, said that lawmakers and officials have been informally discussing denaturalization of those who register for the cards.

Taiwan’s passivity could be seen as consenting to Chinese rule, should Beijing make the additional legal claim that it authorizes local governments and special administrative regions to regulate residency status, she said.    [FULL  STORY]