Citizens who register to reside in China to lose their rights

A report in Hong Kong’s pro-China Ta Kung Pao said Beijing is considering issuing Chinese identity cards to Taiwan citizens to replace the special travel permits issued to Taiwanese who travel to China.

Owing to the complex relationship between the two sides — Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province with no right to statehood — Taiwanese do not apply for visas to travel to China as they would to other foreign countries. They are currently awarded a special travel pass for “Taiwanese compatriots”

The report in the Ta Kung Pao said China was considering abolishing the special travel passes and issuing identity cards instead, which would describe the holder as a resident of Taiwan province. Local media reports said it was a strategy to push Taiwan towards reunification.

The Ta Kung Pao quoted unnamed Beijing officials as saying the move was a reaction to President Chen Shui-bian’s earlier threat to tighten China’s policies if the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) was victorious in Saturday’s elections.

The Hong Kong report said Beijing is considering setting up the plan on a trial basis in Fujian Province. Holders of Chinese I.D. cards would be eligible for services such as medical treatment, education and pensions. The report also said Beijing was concerned about President Chen’s plans to reform the constitution in 2006.

Mainland Affairs Council official (MAC) Vice Chairman Huang Wei-feng said in response to the reports that Taiwan’s laws governing interactions between both sides of the Taiwan Strait prohibited Taiwan citizens from registering residence in China or holding a People’s Republic of China passport.

Huang said anyone breaking the law would lose their status as a Taiwan citizen and all accompanying rights and obligations such as voting rights, the right to join the military and to act as a Taiwan public servant.

Meanwhile, in related reports, Huang said the China policy making MAC had not seen any new applications from the KMT for a top Chinese official to visit Taiwan.

Huang was responding to media reports which said the KMT has decided to renew its application for Beijing’s top Taiwan policy making official Chen Yunlin, the director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, to visit Taiwan.

The KMT has invited Chen to visit Taiwan to attend an economic and trade forum between the KMT and the Communist Party of China. The KMT previously filed an application with the Bureau of Immigration for Chen’s visit but it was rejected. The reports said the KMT would try again as it wads encouraged by the party’s sweeping win in Saturday’s elections.

Huang said he couldn’t predict how the government would handle the case as the KMT had not made a second application. But he said the KMT’s victory in the elections would not change the government’s China policy. The KMT favors closer ties with China compared to the independence-minded government.

Taipei had previously asked for official-level talks with Beijing to negotiate Chen’s visit but the request was shunned by China. Chen’s application was rejected on the grounds Beijing was refusing to talk to Taipei about the matter.

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators have said that they oppose Chen visiting Taiwan visit unless Beijing invites MAC Chairman Joseph Wu to visit China.

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