Bill seeks to close citizenship loopholeENHANCED SECURITY: The proposed amendment would require Chinese citizens to present proof of having renounced their citizenship to obtain permanent residenceBy Sean Lin / Staff reporterA proposed legal amendment to close a three-month gap between Chinese citizens becoming naturalized Republic of China (ROC) citizens and renouncing their Chinese citizenship yesterday proceeded to committee review. The proposal, sponsored by Democratic Progressive Party legislators Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) and Lin I-chin (林宜瑾), seeks to amend Article 17 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) by prohibiting Chinese citizens from obtaining ROC citizenship before they have provided documentation proving that they have renounced their Chinese citizenship. The grace period creates a loophole in which some Chinese have dual nationality and dual household registration, resulting in a breach in the nation’s border controls, the lawmakers said. Although rules are already in place to prevent people with dual nationality from serving as publicly elected delegates, the act remains at odds with the Civil Service Employment Act (公務人員任用法), resulting in Constitutional Interpretation No. 768, which states that people with dual nationality must not work as government-contracted physicians, Ho said.

Source: Taipei Times May 01, 2020 15:56 UTC