More than 40 Taiwanese citizens are under investigation for allegedly holding Chinese identity cards, with 14 individuals having already been notified that their Taiwanese household registrations and other documents are to be revoked, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said yesterday.
Asked whether Huang An (黃安), a Taiwanese singer and long-term resident of China, was among those whose Taiwanese citizenship is being revoked, Liu today said this was personal information that is not supposed to be disclosed.
Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said if Huang holds a Chinese ID, his Taiwanese citizenship would be revoked immediately.
Photo: Li Wen-hsin, Taipei Times
At a news conference yesterday following a Ministry of the Interior meeting in Taipei, Liu said that Taiwanese citizens found illegally holding Chinese identity documents would have their Taiwanese health insurance, identity cards and passports revoked.
They would "not be Taiwanese citizens" anymore, she said.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Wu Tang-an (吳堂安) said that regulations governing household registrations mean that any Taiwanese found holding Chinese household registration would have their Taiwanese household registration canceled.
It "would not be very easy" for them to regain household registration in Taiwan in the future, Wu added, citing regulations.
At the news conference yesterday, Liu was also asked about a Taiwan-based Chinese social media influencer, known as "Yaya in Taiwan" (亞亞在台灣), who has been ordered to leave the country over her public statements advocating China's "military unification" of Taiwan.
Liu said that the NIA has followed the law and not deviated from procedural norms.
Liu also said that while online statements made by Yaya have been "inconsistent," the penalty against her remains unchanged.
If the Chinese national — whose residence permit was based on her marriage to a Taiwanese citizen — does not comply with her 10-day deportation order, then she would be forcibly removed from the country, the minister said.
Asked about how many Chinese social media influencers whose residence permits were based on marriage to a Taiwanese citizen have been questioned or investigated due to public statements advocating China's "military unification" of Taiwan, Liu said the number of cases varies as they continue to receive more reports every day.
The authorities receive reports from different channels, she said, adding that the council and the National Immigration Agency would investigate anyone who was reported whether they were Taiwanese allegedly holding Chinese IDs or Chinese spouses.
Asked whether Huang would face any punishment for his comments about surrendering after a Chinese invasion given that Chinese spouses making public comments that promote China’s “military unification” could be deported, Chiu today said that the council would take action.
Describing Huang’s comments as arousing public anger, Chiu said the council is to investigate whether Huang has applied for a Chinese ID and cooperated with the Chinese government, the Chinese military and the Chinese Communist Party.
The agency's recent actions had prompted Pa Chiung (八炯), a popular YouTuber who is critical of the Chinese Communist Party, to call for a public protest against the National Immigration Agency over this and similar cases.
Pa Chiung had brought up the issue of Taiwanese citizens illegally holding Chinese identity documents into the public spotlight in recent weeks through videos posted on social media.
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