Date: November 25, 2016
MAC Press Release No. 85
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today (November 25, 2016) said that MAC Minister Hsiao-yueh Chang went to Donggang Township, Pingtung County today to engage in exchanges and discussions with local Mainland spouses and private organizations. Minister Chang also rolled up her sleeves with National Immigration Agency (NIA) under the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) Director-General Ho Jung-chun to join Mainland spouses in making rice tube pudding and steamed buns. During a lunch and informal discussions, she listened to the ups and downs faced by Mainland spouses in life and business. She also asked for their input on the Mainland spouse policies promoted by the government. Nearly a hundred Mainland spouses and representatives of private organizations participated in the activity, creating a warm atmosphere.
Minister Chang said during the discussions that the government has always adhered to the principle of "accommodation in humanitarian assistance" and is committed to safeguarding the rights and interests of Mainland spouses living in Taiwan. Through several legal amendments, the MAC has been protecting the rights of Mainland spouses, including their right to work and obtain an ID card. In October this year, the government further relaxed rules to allow Mainland spouses to serve as temporary staff at various agencies and schools. It also drafted amendments to Article 65 of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area to ease rules on the adoption by Taiwanese spouses of the children of their Mainland spouse from a previous marriage in the Mainland. These measures are among the concrete results of the government's attentive care for Mainland spouses.
In the afternoon, Minister Chang participated in a "Mobile Service Train Outreach Program" activity jointly held by the MAC and NIA went at the Donggang Fishermen's Association. She gained a first-hand understanding of the situation facing Mainland spouses in regards to health insurance, employment services, and application for extension of permanent or temporary resident visa stays. Minister Chang especially thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NIA, National Health Insurance Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Workforce Development Agency under the Ministry of Labor, and other relevant agencies for the convenient service and attentive care they provide for Mainland spouses in remote townships. Minister Chang also highly affirmed the results of the "Mobile Service Train Outreach Program."