Public servants to be checked for Chinese IDs starting in 2026

Taipei, Aug. 18 (CNA) Taiwan's government will begin on Jan. 1, 2026 to routinely and systematically check to see if core personnel in the military, education system and civil service hold Chinese IDs, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced Monday.

In a statement, the MAC said Taiwanese are not allowed to have household registrations in China or hold IDs issued by China, according to the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.

The checks are aimed at fulfilling the rule of law and preventing individuals from unlawfully holding a position, the MAC said, though it did not provide any details on how the measure would be carried or who would be responsible.

According to the statement, the measure will initially apply only to core personnel because of the large scale of public service systems and the wide variety of hiring practices and legal bases used by different agencies.

"Core personnel" include government-appointed officials who serve as government representatives or agents for government-funded companies, as well as 21 types of full-time education personnel employed under the Act Governing the Appointment of Educators.

Newly appointed or transferred personnel will be subject to such screening as soon as the measures are in place on Jan. 1, 2026, the MAC said.

Non-compliance will result in punishments such as prohibition from signing employment, renewal or reassignment contracts, it said.

The MAC, Taiwan's top agency for handling China-related issues, will ask government institutions and schools to cooperate in publicizing the measure, and also review and amend relevant employment regulations, contracts and documents before the end of 2025.

It said it will hold explanatory sessions across Taiwan jointly with the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, the Ministry of Civil Service and the Ministry of Education.

In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party has broken the single-ID systems insisted upon by both sides of the Taiwan Strait for its United Front efforts, allowing Taiwanese individuals to retain their Taiwanese ID when they obtain a Chinese ID, the MAC said.

The MAC expressed the hope that military, education and public service personnel actively comply with investigations to maintain national safety and enhance the public's trust in the public sector.