TAIPEI (TVBS News) — China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO, 國台辦) emphasized on Wednesday (Sept. 25) that same-sex marriage applications do not comply with mainland laws, clarifying that China's Civil Code (民法典) stipulates marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑), the spokesperson for Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會), announced on Sept. 19 that same-sex couples from both sides of the Taiwan Strait can register their marriages in Taiwan if they marry in a third location.
Liang explained that for mainland partners in cross-strait marriages to obtain a Taiwanese ID, they must deregister their household registration in China. However, since mainland China does not recognize same-sex marriages, it will not accept deregistration for this reason.
TAO Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) advised individuals with questions about household registration to consult the relevant authorities.
Taiwan, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2019, remains the first region in Asia to do so.
Observers will closely watch how these differing legal frameworks impact cross-strait relationships and the potential challenges same-sex couples may face in navigating these regulations.