00:00In April, Taiwan's government informed over 12,000 Chinese citizens living in
00:04Taiwan and their children that they'd have to prove they've renounced their
00:07household registration in China. That deadline for them to do so has now
00:11passed and those who failed to comply could face losing their legal status in
00:16Taiwan. These people who are married to Taiwanese citizens had until June 30th
00:20to submit the required documents. The latest numbers from last week show over
00:265,500 people have successfully submitted the proof. Another 2,500 either signed an
00:32affidavit or received extensions. More than 1,800 people are confirmed to be living
00:37abroad and will not need to submit the documents until they return. But the
00:40government has not been able to reach the rest, over 2,000 people. Officials say
00:45they may not be aware of the deadline, possibly because they live in remote
00:48areas or do not have access to a phone. Efforts are still being made to contact
00:53them. Over the past few months, the government's announcement has sent many
00:56scrambling, causing panic and confusion, especially among those who
01:15We will be able to find it out.
01:17Over the past few months, the government's announcement has sent many scrambling, causing panic and confusion, especially among those who have reportedly lived in Taiwan for decades without issue.
01:27The government has stood by its decision, but also made moves to help, setting up in-person briefings and hotlines for Chinese citizens.
01:35They've also offered extensions and exceptions for Chinese spouses who have had legitimate difficulties in getting the required documents.
01:42They also clarified that this requirement is not new and has been in place since 2004, but many cases have fallen through the cracks.
01:49To be able to settle in Taiwan and get a Taiwanese national ID card, which affords them all the rights of a citizen,
01:55Chinese nationals are always required to give up their household registration in China and register instead in Taiwan.
02:01Household registration, a system used in both Taiwan and China, links a person's legal rights to a physical address, but is not the same as citizenship.
02:10Under Taiwan's laws, Chinese people are considered neither foreigners nor citizens, so they can obtain a Taiwanese ID by switching their household registration.
02:18This is unlike other foreigners, most of whom must give up their original citizenship.
02:22One day past the deadline, officials have not yet released the final numbers for how many Chinese spouses submitted their documents on time.
02:29And it's also not clear what they will do about people who failed to comply and what the future holds for them.
02:35Patrick Chen and Keynes Caranta for Taiwan Plus.
02:40Patrick Chen and Keynes Caranta for唐
02:57Patrick Chen.
Comments