10 Chinese spouses give up household registration in Taiwan: MAC

Taipei, July 17 (CNA) A total of 10 Chinese spouses married to Taiwanese nationals have chosen to give up their household registration in Taiwan as of Wednesday, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said.

In addition, nearly 90 percent of Chinese spouses in Taiwan have complied with a requirement to provide evidence they have officially given up their household registration in China, according to MAC.

The 10 individuals decided to give up their household registration for various reasons, but accounted for just 0.0008 percent of the 12,156 Chinese spouses tracked by the agency, MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said.

Reasons cited by Liang included the death of their Taiwanese spouse, access to social welfare in China, and inheritance rights, among others.

The process referred to by Liang was outlined in notices sent by the National Immigration Agency (NIA) to some Chinese spouses in Taiwan in early April, requesting that they submit proof of having renounced their household registration in China within three months of receiving the notice.

Under the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, "the people of the Taiwan Area may not have household registrations in the Mainland Area." Those who violate this provisions" shall be deprived of its status as the people of the Taiwan area."

Individuals who lose their "Taiwan status," meaning their household registration in Taiwan, will also lose their Taiwanese citizenship, Liang said in April.

According to the MAC, 6,569 Chinese spouses have submitted proof that they have renounced their Chinese household registration.

Another 4,287 individuals who qualified for exemptions or deferrals -- such as those with serious illnesses or injuries -- have submitted affidavits instead, Liang said.

He added that 1,290 individuals identified by the MAC have either not yet been contacted or have not responded, but emphasized that the agency will not revoke their household registration until they have been successfully reached.

All figures are expected to rise as the review process continues, Liang added.