中國引誘台灣人移居大陸引發台北擔憂

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

China Enticing Taiwanese to Live There Stirs Concern in Taipei

Bloomberg - Yian Lee

Sun, January 5, 2025 at 7:57 p.m. PST·2 min read

(Bloomberg) -- China’s efforts to entice more Taiwanese people to get permits to live and work on the mainland is prompting concern in Taipei that Beijing could be laying the groundwork to justify intervention in the self-governing island’s affairs, according to a senior Taiwanese official.

China’s efforts to promote the residence permit have recently intensified, especially when it comes to targeting Taiwanese people who’ve never traveled to the mainland, said the official, who asked not to be identified discussing a sensitive matter.

Taiwanese officials are concerned holders of this permit will be easier to convince to apply for China’s national citizen identification card and to swap their passports for those issued by Beijing, the official said. They worry that could in turn be used by the Chinese government to justify the need to “protect Chinese citizens” in Taiwan, said the official.

In 2018, China introduced this type of residence permit specifically for those from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau to make it easier for holders to live and work on the mainland. The permit also grants access to financial services and social benefits, and can be obtained without those from Taiwan having to renounce their Taiwanese citizenship.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed to eventually bring the island under its control, even if by force. Ties between the two sides have become increasingly strained as of late after Lai Ching-te was elected Taiwan’s president in 2024. Beijing views Lai with great suspicion and has accused him of pursuing outright independence for Taiwan.

Asked about the Chinese residence permits after he delivered his New Year’s address last Wednesday, Lai responded by saying, “do not be tempted by short-term benefits and stray onto the wrong path, because democracy is priceless and freedom cannot be cashed in.”

Translation

中國引誘台灣人移居大陸引發台北擔憂

（彭博）—據一位台灣高級官員稱，中國為吸引更多台灣人獲得在大陸居住和工作的許可而做出的努力，引發了台北方面的擔憂，他們擔心北京可能正在為干涉台灣島自治事務奠定基礎。

這位因討論敏感話題而不願透露姓名的台灣官員表示，中國最近加大了居住證推廣力度，特別是針對那些從未去過大陸的台灣人。

這位官員說，台灣官員擔心，持有該許可證的人將更容易被說服申請中國公民身分證，並換發北京頒發的護照。這位官員說，他們擔心中國政府可能會利用這一點，為其需要「保護在台灣的中國公民」尋找藉口。

2018年，中國專門為台灣、香港和澳門居民推出了此類居住許可，以方便持有者在大陸生活和工作。該許可證還允許台灣人享受金融服務和社會福利，並且無需放棄台灣國籍亦可獲得該許可證。

中國認為台灣是其領土的一部分，並誓言即去使用武力, 也最終會將該島置於其控制之下。賴清德於 2024 年當選台灣總統後，兩岸關係近來愈發緊張。北京對賴抱持極大懷疑，並指責他推行徹底是台灣獨立。

上週三，賴清德在發表新年講話後被問及中國居住證問題，他回應說：“不要受短期利益誘惑而誤入歧途，民主無價，自由是不能用現金兌換的”。

              So, China’s efforts to entice more Taiwanese people to get permits to live and work on the mainland is causing concern in Taipei in that Beijing could be laying the groundwork to justify intervention in the self-governing island’s affairs. Apparently, it is a soft way for China to absorb Taiwan into its orbit. Anyway, it is much better than using military forces.