The Mainland Affairs Council of the Republic of China announced today that starting from January 1, 2026, core military and civil service personnel should cooperate with various agencies and schools to carry out regular and institutionalized checks, and they are not allowed to hold residency in mainland China or apply for and use any identity documents related to the Chinese Communist Party.
According to the current regulations under Article 9-1 of the Cross-Strait Relations Act, individuals who acquire the status of a Chinese mainland resident will lose their Taiwanese citizenship and are not eligible to serve in the military or as civil servants. In order to implement lawful governance, the government is promoting regular and institutionalized checks to specify that core personnel in various agencies and schools must not hold residency in mainland China or apply for and use any identity documents related to the Chinese Communist Party to prevent illegal employment or situations where personnel do not meet legal appointment requirements.
Recent efforts have been made to request cooperation and promote awareness among relevant agencies, and the new policy will officially take effect on January 1, 2026. At that time, core military and civil service personnel who are newly appointed or transferred must comply with the checking procedures. Those who do not cooperate with the checks will face consequences according to employment laws and contract provisions, which may include being ineligible for verification procedures, unable to sign employment contracts, or renewal and rehiring processes.
The Council emphasized that due to the large scale and diverse nature of the public service system, and the varying legal basis for personnel appointments, the checks will be carried out in a gradual and systematic manner. In the initial stages, the focus will be on core military and civil service personnel and will not cover all employees.
For state-owned enterprises, state-controlled private enterprises, and public institutions where the appointment of officials is subject to approval by the relevant departments, or local governments, and those who represent the government in their roles, are required to undergo the checks. For educational personnel, only the 21 categories of full-time personnel hired by public schools in accordance with the regulations for educational personnel appointments will be included.
To ensure the implementation of regular and institutionalized checks, from now until the end of 2025, all agencies and schools are requested to assist in promoting awareness and review and amend relevant employment laws, contracts, information systems, documents, etc. The Council will organize information sessions nationwide involving the Ministry of Civil Service Administration, the Examination Yuan, the Ministry of Education, and other institutions to provide guidance and assistance in promoting awareness in various agencies and schools, thereby ensuring that all personnel employed comply with legal requirements.
The Council stressed that “in recent years, the Chinese Communist Party has been relentless in its efforts to undermine the long-standing single identity systems on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to promote united front work. The willingness to allow our country’s citizens to use identity documents related to the Chinese Communist Party while retaining their Taiwanese identity cards not only confuses our people’s national identity but also violates our legal provisions, posing a significant threat to our national security.”
The government hopes that the military and civil service personnel subject to checks will actively cooperate with the government’s operations to safeguard national security, contribute to public confidence in the public service system, and enhance the trust of the people.