A Democratic Progressive Party legislator yesterday introduced a draft amendment that would require Chinese spouses to swear an oath of loyalty to Taiwan and take a test of civic knowledge before becoming citizens.
Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) proposed the changes amid controversy around a proposal to allow Chinese spouses to obtain citizenship after four years of marriage, down from six.
Under the proposal, the oath of loyalty would be legally binding, with contravention of it resulting in the person losing their household registration.
Photo: Reuters
Foreigners wishing to become citizens in most cases must forfeit their original citizenship and take a test, but there are legal and practical difficulties in asking Chinese immigrants to renounce their citizenship, Huang said.
Based on other countries’ citizenship laws, Huang’s proposal would add a naturalization oath and a test of language proficiency, citizens’ rights and obligations to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例).
The oath would be performed publicly at a location and in a manner chosen by the Ministry of the Interior, the proposal says.
The text of the oath would read: “I completely renounce my former status as a citizen of the Mainland area and my basic rights and obligations herein. I also vow that after becoming a citizen of the Taiwan area, I will defend its democracy and freedom, abide by its Constitution and laws, and fulfill my civic obligations.”
The text would then be signed and stamped by the applicant, and sent to the ministry to be archived.
The citizenship test content, exemptions, fees and other matters would also be decided by the ministry, the proposal states.
Contravention of Article 33 or Article 33-1 of the act prohibiting engagement with certain organizations or people in China or contraventions of the Anti-infiltration Act (反滲透法) would result in the loss of household registration, which may be obtained after gaining citizenship.
Those with childcare or other obligations due to their status as citizens would be asked to leave the country, but their citizenship would not be forfeit, the draft states.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
Taiwan is concerned that China could exploit the US’ war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of US weapons Taiwan would use to repel an invasion. Taiwanese officials said the resumption of Beijing’s large-scale air force incursions near Taiwan after an unusual decline show that China wants to take advantage of the redeployment of US forces from East Asia to the Middle East. “This is a moment for China to exercise influence,” a senior Taiwanese security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “What China is trying to create is a
RSS