Taiwan finds dozens of troops holding Chinese residence permits

Taiwanese Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo on Wednesday told the Taipei legislature that 62 military personnel were disciplined for having Chinese residence permits. The personnel were barred from handling new weapons, entering combat operation centers, and navy or aviation units, according to the Taipei Times. They also could not serve in military intelligence or communications, he said. The group of residency holders were all active-duty soldiers or in training. Two were in the country’s voluntary service, rather than being conscripts, Taiwan’s Liberty Times reported.

Does the residency permit indicate Chinese citizenship? The permit isn’t a mark of citizenship and is not illegal in Taiwan, according to the Associated Press. Koo told the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee that none of the disciplined personnel had Chinese passports, ID cards, or permanent residency status, the Taipei Times reported.

What else did Koo say in the hearing? He also said that Taiwan was hiring 54 more counterintelligence agents and that it would boost cooperation in shipbuilding efforts with the United States, according to the Taipei Times.

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