TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Some Chinese spouses have been stripped of their Taiwanese IDs and household registration for refusing to renounce their Chinese registration to collect pensions or inheritance.
After investigating individuals who illegally registered their households in China or obtained Chinese IDs, the government revoked the household registration of more than 50 people, per Liberty Times. Of the cases involving Chinese spouses in Taiwan, some were reported by the public for holding Chinese IDs, while others were discovered through government investigations.
Investigators uncovered Chinese spouses who had long held both Taiwanese and Chinese identification documents, with circumstances varying by case. Some claimed the Taiwan government did not strictly require them to renounce their Chinese registration when they first registered in Taiwan, so they had kept their Chinese IDs.
Some Chinese spouses held Taiwan household registration and Taiwan IDs, yet continued to collect pensions from China. Others, because of China’s one-child policy, wished to inherit family holdings in China, so they did not renounce their Chinese registration.
Under the cross-strait single-household-registration system, individuals found to hold dual identities must choose one. Spouses who opted to retain Chinese registration for financial benefits were removed from Taiwan’s registry.
An official told Liberty Times that these delistings stemmed from special audits and did not include Qian Li, the Chinese spouse who publicly advocated armed annexation. After Qian was stripped of her Taiwan ID, she reverted to dependent residency.
Numerous complaints have since urged authorities to cancel her residency permit, and relevant agencies will convene a joint review to address the issue.
