A legislative committee has advanced a draft bill that would make it illegal for Taiwanese government officials to have permanent residency in a foreign country.
The bill is being discussed in the wake of local reports that President Ma Ying-jeou had a US green card. While the de facto American embassy in Taiwan has denied the allegations, it has reenergized the move to limit government officials’ ties to other countries.
The legislature’s Internal Administration Committee reviewed the opposition-proposed draft amendment on Monday. It is already illegal in Taiwan for government officials to have citizenship in a foreign country. The new amendment would also make it illegal to have permanent residency in a foreign country.
Interior Minister Chen Wei-jen said that the new restrictions would make it difficult to recruit outstanding talent to government postings. However, he said he supported the move to prevent officials from holding permanent residency in other nations.
Under the draft amendment, candidates with special skills or expertise would not be bound by the new restrictions.