Taiwanese with mainland China residence permits could face restrictions at home, Taipei warns

Taiwan said it is considering placing restrictions on people from the self-ruled island that hold residence permits for the Chinese mainland, out of security concerns and fears of a brain drain amid worsening relations between the two sides.

It said also that while it was fine for Taiwanese to work or study on the mainland, they should be aware of the risk of being classed as a spy by Beijing, which last week accused Taipei of running a long-term campaign to steal its secrets.

“It is necessary to have certain control over Taiwanese people who hold the new residence permits,” cabinet spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka told a press conference on Thursday.

Yotaka was referring to a new scheme introduced by Beijing at the start of September that allows people from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau who have worked or studied on the mainland for more than six months to apply for a residence permit. Card holders are entitled to benefits and privileges such as access to housing fund schemes, basic medical care, legal help and social insurance.

Beijing said the plan is designed to make life easier for people from the three locations to live on the mainland, but Taiwan is concerned it is an attempt to lure away its talent and dilute their identity.

With calls being made for permit holders to be stripped of some of their rights as Taiwanese, Yotaka said the government and legislature needed to discuss the issue, and listen to the views of the public.

“The case has now become a serious issue and must be dealt with by the government in a serious manner,” she said.

The government’s announcement is unlikely to go down well with the more than 22,000 Taiwanese who were issued with the new permits in just the first 10 days of the scheme’s launch.