Thursday, June 30, 2016

Links and Comments for Thursday

This was a woman who knows how to pack stuff...

Many pieces in the international media noting that Tsai wants communication with China. A sharp friend of mine observes that Tsai is playing China the way she played Ma: moral high ground, give them rope, let them hang themselves, stay calm and quiet. Each display of calmness and earnestness from Tsai is a victory.

One interesting way China is handling the international media is its repeated use of the faux 1992 Consensus. The 1992C is, of course, just another way to say Taiwan is part of China. But Beijing is not bluntly insisting "Say Taiwan is part of China." Instead, Beijing is cloaking this claim in the "1992 Consensus" verbiage. For listeners, this softens the demand by calling it a consensus -- even though nothing happened and only the unelected representatives of two Leninist authoritarian parties were present to disagree with each other. But nowhere does the international media ever make that clear...

Forward Taiwan, which works on issues affecting foreigners, notes on Facebook:
Apple Daily reports that a bill to amend the Naturalization Act has made it through the first reading in the Interior Affairs Committee.

1. Foreign spouses applying for citizenship would no longer need to prove that they can support themselves financially

2. A foreign national applicant for naturalization would renounce his or her original nationality one year after becoming a Taiwanese citizenship (currently original citizenship must be renounced before naturalization causing some applicants to become stateless).

3. The good moral character requirement to become a Taiwanese citizen would change to a negative requirement that the applicant has "no [record of] reprehensible conduct and no criminal record".

4. A naturalized citizen whose citizenship is revoked would get a hearing before a committee at the Ministry of the Interior at which the naturalized citizen will have a chance to plead his or her case before revocation.

The report makes no mention of any provisions that would allow a naturalized citizen to be a dual citizen.

The text of the bill is not yet available and the bill will still need to be passed by the full Legislature to become law.
Would love to have dual nationality, like Chinese who marry Taiwanese. UPDATE: See discussion in comments below.
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16 comments:

Marc said...

Where can we learn about the reasons why the gov't has upheld citizenship renunciation?

an angry taiwanese said...

When Kavalan gains domestic fame, which will happen sooner than later, Taiwanese will line up in queues for boba whisky milk tea :-)

Anonymous said...

UBS recommends selling Taiwanese equities

http://www.businessinsider.com/ubs-on-the-assets-to-avoid-in-the-aftermath-of-brexit-2016-6

Tim Maddog said...

I wouldn't want to be an "ROC" citizen. At the very least, I'm waiting for the official name of the country to be changed.

Tim Maddog

B.BarNavi said...

Chinese who marry Taiwanese have to give up their PRC citizenships, actually. I did the research myself.

Anonymous said...

Hmm....Taiwan Navy launched a missile this morning "by mistake".
Many people are leaning toward two explanations:

1. Taiwan Navy severely lack discipline and training

2. Some member of military wants to create problem with China that might lead to military coup?

Either way, Taiwan has enormous problem with the military.

Formosa Coweater said...

That is an interesting titbit from the Business Insider piece, if true: "Brexit is likely to make matters worse for Taiwan, since it has the highest revenue exposure (15%) to Europe among Asian countries, resulting in further earnings downside risks."

Skylight Taiwan said...

We will be there, Taiwan !

Michael Turton said...

Blogger B.BarNavi said...
Chinese who marry Taiwanese have to give up their PRC citizenships, actually. I did the research myself.


Seriously? I thought I had looked that one up...

Michael Turton said...

NOPE. Bar Navi, you better look that up. There are many useful sites, but start with the Wiki on ROC immigration and naturalization

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Turton,

I am writing you as I hope you can correct your statement that PRC citizens who marry Taiwanese can hold both citizenships. This is factually incorrect. Firstly, Chinese spouses who wish to obtain Taiwan ID cards and Taiwan passports are required to relinquish their household registrations in China, which means they can no longer apply for PRC ID cards and PRC passports. Secondly, if they should decide to still apply for such documents, this will automatically invalidate their Taiwan citizenship (as per Regulations governing Relations between People from the Taiwan Area and People from the Mainland Area as well as the Passport Act of Taiwan). Therefore, it is impossible to legally hold both a Taiwanese passport and a Chinese passport. You may inquire with the NIA or a lawyer of your choice, but please stop spreading incorrect information.

Thank you.

Michael Turton said...

Firstly, Chinese spouses who wish to obtain Taiwan ID cards and Taiwan passports are required to relinquish their household registrations in China, which means they can no longer apply for PRC ID cards and PRC passports.

But they are still citizens of China. They do not need to go through a renunciation process like us second and third class foreigners.

Therefore, it is impossible to legally hold both a Taiwanese passport and a Chinese passport.

But it is legally possible to hold a Taiwanese passport and Chinese citizenship.

Michael

Michael Turton said...

Also, there is a different process for them to "naturalize" -- they just establish household registration. They have a totally different status than I do.

Michael Turton said...

And plenty of ethnic Chinese overseas have ROC passports even thought they have never set foot in Taiwan.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr Turton,

I appreciate you took the time to reply to my comment. I will now briefly comment on the issues you have brought up.

Firstly, it is impossible for PRC citizens to give up PRC nationality pursuant to Article 10 of the PRC Nationality Law (refer to http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/Law/2007-12/13/content_1384056.htm for the official text of the law), as the PRC does not recognise a separate Taiwanese nationality. In that regard, the PRC acts in a manner similar to Japan; the Japanese government also does not release their citizens in the process of acquiring Taiwanese nationality. In Japan's case, the Taiwanese nationality law provides for an exception to the usual renunciation requirement: applicants who are unable to gain approval from their home country may still become Taiwanese. Unlike the case of Japan however, which will still issue passports to its Taiwanese-Japanese dual citizens, the PRC will no longer issue ID cards and passports (aside from the Taibaozheng that all Taiwanese receive).

What does that mean in real life? In real life newly Taiwanese Chinese spouses cease to have any different rights in China than the average Taiwanese. They also face the consequence of losing their Taiwanese citizenship in case they try to regain citizenship rights in China. Whereas any other foreigner can re-gain his former citizenship without repercussions from the Taiwanese government.

Secondly, the naturalisation process differs due to domestic Taiwanese law. Likewise, the ability of overseas Chinese without any connection to Taiwan is rooted in domestic Taiwanese law. That is something Taiwanese parliament could easily change, especially now that the pan-green coalition holds a comfortable majority. I hope parliament will change this, as now there is no excuse such as the KMT blocking bills.

Michael Turton said...

Thank you for this very long comment. Originally you claimed:

I am writing you as I hope you can correct your statement that PRC citizens who marry Taiwanese can hold both citizenships. This is factually incorrect

Actually, it is factually correct, as you now write:

Firstly, it is impossible for PRC citizens to give up PRC nationality pursuant to Article 10 of the PRC Nationality Law (refer to http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/Law/2007-12/13/content_1384056.htm for the official text of the law), as the PRC does not recognise a separate Taiwanese nationality.

First you claim it is impossible for PRC citizens to have both nationalities, then you claim it is impossible for them not to. You can see why there is so much confusion on this issue.

I thank you for this information. The situation is much clearer to me. In the future I will add this caveat.

What does that mean in real life? In real life newly Taiwanese Chinese spouses cease to have any different rights in China than the average Taiwanese.

That is not the issue, though.

Secondly, the naturalisation process differs due to domestic Taiwanese law. Likewise, the ability of overseas Chinese without any connection to Taiwan is rooted in domestic Taiwanese law. That is something Taiwanese parliament could easily change, especially now that the pan-green coalition holds a comfortable majority. I hope parliament will change this, as now there is no excuse such as the KMT blocking bills.

I hope so too. I do not like being a third class foreigner, and I can't even imagine how the foreign workers feel.

Michael