TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) emphasized on Monday (March 10) that its ongoing initiative to scrutinize civil servants for holding Chinese identification documents, including identity cards, residence permits, and passports, has progressed smoothly with broad cooperation from current personnel.
The government required civil servants to declare that they do not possess household registration, passports, or permits in China, as outlined in Article 9-1 of the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" (兩岸條例) in late February. The government's expanded scope to include public foundations and state-owned enterprises has sparked widespread debate
The MAC explained that public foundations and state-owned enterprises, funded by public money and typically led by government-appointed officials, must comply with legal and employment standards. The council expressed confidence in the compliance of military, civil, and educational personnel, as well as employees of state-owned enterprises and public foundations.
However, the initiative has faced criticism from various political parties. Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) legislator Lin Kuo-cheng (林國成) criticized the move, arguing that existing regulations are adequate and accused the government of treating civil servants unfairly. In contrast, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) legislative caucus defended the initiative, citing legal foundations and the current cross-strait tensions as justification.