In the most recent update on government investigations into Chinese ID-holders, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said that as of April, 99.3% of qualifying residents have complied with the regulation crackdown. For those remaining who have yet to cancel their Chinese IDs or household registrations, the government will be offering assistance to help them complete the process.
Since the start of 2025, the government has instigated a crackdown on ensuring that citizens and permanent residents abide by a cross-strait regulation in which ID holders can have only one legal identity: Chinese or Taiwanese. The MAC has investigated Chinese-born spouses as well as those in public service sectors, with an end-of-April deadline to cancel their Chinese identity documentation.
Speaking at a recent interview with Liberty Times, the MAC Minister discussed the progress of their investigations. Cheng underlined that cross-strait regulations clearly state individuals cannot hold dual Taiwanese and Chinese ID and/or passports, under the assumption that dual identities will lead to conflicts of interest. Without a Taiwanese ID, individuals are limited from public service, including as a teacher or serving in the military. This first wave of investigations is looking into those sectors specifically, before eventually expanding outward.
That said, Cheng reported that after the first round of investigations wrapped up at the end of April, encompassing 52 administrative agencies, the Defense Ministry, and 209 public schools, almost 99.3% of people had complied with government regulations. Of the remaining 0.7%, 2 people were found to have obtained Chinese identity cards, and 75 had residence cards. For these cases, the government will assist in helping these individuals in carrying out the necessary procedures to cancel their documentation in line with cross-strait regulations.
The topic of identity in relation to cross-strait relations has remained a hot topic in recent months. Even as Taiwan’s MAC carries out investigations at home, China continues with what has been labeled as “united front” development in the outlying islands such as Kinmen and Matsu. Cheng described these efforts as attempting to confuse and further politicize people’s national identities, and urged citizens not to apply for Chinese IDs. Calling these attempts at “homogenization,” he said that those involved should aim to separate and depoliticize cross-strait exchanges, especially around the idea of identity, as much as possible, so that both sides can be said to be participating in a healthy, dignified, and orderly manner.