Cabinet aims to tighten rules on lawmaker, civil servant China visits

Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) The Cabinet on Friday approved amendments that would expand the range of individuals who would be required to get government approval before visiting China to lawmakers and all civil servants.

The revisions, which require passage by the opposition-controlled Legislature before they can become law, follow a Dec. 19 trip to Xiamen by seven lawmakers from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) to attend an event related to Taiwanese businesspeople in China.

Though categorized as a commercial event, it reportedly touched on political issues, including developing a "blueprint for fusion between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait" and "safeguarding national unity and territorial integrity," according to Taiwanese media reports.

Under the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, only political appointees, mayors of Taiwan's six biggest cities and some government officials -- such as those with access to classified information -- must undergo a joint review before traveling to China.

The revisions to the act would also require national legislators, mayors, and county commissioners to pass a joint review by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), in consultation with the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) before going to China.

Lower-level political appointees and police officers would also be required to obtain approval from their respective agencies.

How the Legislative Yuan deals with the amendments will be worth watching given that the new provisions seem targeted at the very legislators who will have to pass them.

KMT caucus secretary-general Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) reacted to the move by saying the proposed revisions were merely a "fig leaf" to cover up President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) incompetence at handling cross-Taiwan Strait relations.

Taiwan People's Party lawmaker Chang Chi-kai (張啟楷) said the Lai administration should encourage more cross-strait exchanges rather than introducing more pieces of legislation to escalate the "spiral of hostility."

Meanwhile, the revisions also stipulate that elected officials who visit China and come into contact with agencies or organizations overseen by the Chinese government, the Chinese Communist Party or the People's Liberation Army, must truthfully report details of such contacts to the competent authority, including the time, location and meeting records.

Violators would face fines ranging from NT$20,000 (US$638.78) to NT$100,000, according to the proposed revisions.

MAC chief Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said at a Cabinet news conference on Friday that the reporting requirement would apply to all publicly elected officials, from lawmakers down to ward and village chiefs.

Chiu did not give a direct answer, however, when asked how the MAC would verify whether officials had provided accurate accounts of their exchanges with Chinese entities, saying only that the MOI would establish supplementary measures.

The draft amendment also seeks to expand the list of officials and military officers barred from attending events organized by Chinese political, government or military entities that subordinate or call for the end of Taiwan's sovereignty.

If passed, the provision would prohibit former presidents, National Security Council advisers, heads of foreign diplomatic missions or representative offices and their deputies, and certain military officers from attending such events.

Offenders would face suspension of their pensions for five years.

In cases of "severe offenses," which are not defined in the draft, the offender will be stripped of their pensions with the amount already received recovered. Those without pensions would be fined between NT$2 million and NT$10 million.