Taiwan's interior minister clarifies China 'recognition' comment

Taipei, Aug. 12 (CNA) "Maintaining the status quo is Taiwan's greatest consensus," Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said Tuesday, a day after she triggered a political backlash by suggesting that Taiwan "recognizes" the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Liu said her comment the day before was made "from the standpoint of the government of the Republic of China (ROC)" -- referring to Taiwan's official name -- and focused on how Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior (MOI) applies the law.

Explaining her remarks to reporters on Tuesday, the minister said that "foreign nationals, including Chinese nationals," must renounce foreign nationality to hold public office in Taiwan.

If the renunciation of PRC nationality is recognized by Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), a semi-official organization that handles interactions between Taiwan and China, the government will "recognize it as a valid official document," she said.

"To serve in public office one must be loyal to a single country, the Republic of China," she said.

Liu's remarks on Monday drew criticism from political opponents, who called them "unconstitutional," with Ma Ying-jeou Foundation Executive Director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) calling for her resignation.

Taiwan, officially called the Republic of China (ROC), is claimed by the People's Republic of China (PRC), leading to long-term tensions between the two sides

Asked whether the PRC is considered a country under ROC's Constitution, Liu said that "the ROC and the PRC are not subordinate to each other" according to the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China.

She said that Taiwan's government "recognizes" the PRC insofar as it recognizes PRC documents, including those issued by the PRC government-affiliated Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), as "effective legal documents."

The interior minister also commented on the recent dismissal for holding PRC nationality of Deng Wan-hua (鄧萬華), who was chief of Xuetian Village in Hualien County's Fuli Township.

Liu said the eligibility of PRC-born spouses of Taiwanese citizens to run for office is regulated by the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area and the Nationality Act, and that she was not responsible for Deng being dismissed.

Liu said four other village chiefs face similar issues because they only recently renounced their household registration, possibly due to "limited understanding of the law."

She urged local governments to provide legal guidance in such circumstances.

Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told reporters on Tuesday that Taiwan's position "on the front line of geopolitics" requires a more active approach to handling cross-strait relations and Indo-Pacific peace.

He said that "if both sides -- the PRC and the ROC -- can face the reality of each other's existence and even legal equality, it will help promote peace."