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A Taiwanese navy sailor who was registered for a Chinese ID card by his mother will retain his Taiwanese citizenship, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced on Thursday, as reported by the Taipei Times.
The sailor, surnamed Yang, serves in the navy's 168th Fleet. His mother, a Chinese national, applied for his Chinese ID card a decade ago when he was a child, reportedly without his consent. Despite holding the Chinese ID, Yang never actively sought Chinese citizenship, the MAC said. On Wednesday, Yang formally requested that Chinese authorities annul his household registration in China. The MAC confirmed that the government would not require him to travel to China for the process, as active-duty military personnel are restricted from visiting China due to national security concerns. After reviewing his case with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of National Defence, the MAC determined that Yang had taken sufficient steps to renounce his Chinese citizenship. As a result, officials ruled that he could keep his Taiwanese nationality under Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. The article allows exemptions in special cases, preventing the automatic revocation of Taiwanese citizenship. Ordinarily, Taiwanese citizens who obtain a Chinese household registration or passport lose their Taiwanese nationality. They are stripped of voting rights and barred from military and public service roles. The government has enforced this regulation strictly, the MAC said, warning that those who deliberately acquire Chinese citizenship will face legal consequences, reported Taipei Times. The MAC and military authorities acknowledged the public scrutiny surrounding Yang's case and pledged to support him. The Ministry of National Defence will oversee his reassignment to ensure his continued career development while the investigation is completed. MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh noted that Yang's situation is not unique. Many Taiwanese businesspeople residing in China registered their children as Chinese citizens before returning to Taiwan. Authorities will continue investigating similar cases, with civil service agencies assisting in the effort. Liang said that between 2014 and 2023, 676 Taiwanese citizens were stripped of their nationality for possessing Chinese identification documents. Taiwan and China have enforced mutually exclusive citizenship rules for the past 30 years. However, Fujian Province has been known to grant Chinese IDs to Taiwanese residents without requiring them to submit Taiwanese documents, Liang added, as per reports by Taipei Times. The MAC cited past cases, including taekwondo athletes Lee Tung-hsien and Su Shih-en, who lost their Taiwanese citizenship due to dual Chinese nationality. Liang urged Beijing to respect existing regulations and avoid using citizenship policies as a means to push cross-strait integration. (ANI)
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