TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Premier Chen Chien-jen said Friday (March 1) that spouses from China and those from other nations shouldn't be treated the same, as they occupy different positions, adding that there are currently no plans to amend any laws concerning the time length for them to obtain Taiwanese IDs.
Chen believes that compared to other foreign spouses, Chinese spouses enjoy more protection at various political, legal, and social levels in both China and Taiwan.
Seventeen Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers, led by Hsu Yu-zhen, have co-sponsored a bill proposing that the period for obtaining a Taiwanese ID for spouses from China be reduced from six to four years.
The proposed amendment to the "Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" was submitted on Feb. 29 and is currently being scheduled in the Legislative Yuan. It could be read as soon as the March 8 assembly.
However, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Wu Si-yao said the party will staunchly oppose the amendment. She believes it contravenes the needs of the Taiwanese people, hurts public sentiment, and threatens national security.
In contradiction, Lin Kuo-cheng of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) said their party doesn't resonate with the DPP's attitude towards the rights of spouses from China, suggesting DPP's unilateral decisions are unacceptable.
As a key third-party force, TPP's stance on this could have a significant impact.