December 5, 2013
No. 87
Regarding the issue of civil servants going to the Mainland for study, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated that the government’s policy does not support such activities. However, since civil servants are not prohibited under the Civil Service Training and Education Act and the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area to study in the Mainland, these cases still occur. In view of the current cross-strait situation, civil servants’ studying in the Mainland is a sensitive issue and is inappropriate. Therefore, related agencies will formulate specific measures to reinforce management mechanisms for civil servants studying in the Mainland.
The MAC stated that related agencies have convened several meetings to study and discuss the matter of civil servants going to the Mainland for study. They have reached a preliminary consensus on future handling principles. This includes revising the Regulations Governing Public Servants and Special Status Personnel from the Taiwan Area Entering the Mainland Area, to explicitly prohibit high-level civil servants and civil servants involved with classified affairs from making study-related visits to the Mainland. For general civil servants, personnel attendance will be tightly controlled, and agencies will be required to establish reporting and management systems for civil servants studying in the Mainland so that all related information may be closely monitored.
In the future, the government will develop specific programs and measures in accordance with the above-mentioned handling principles. The MAC, Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, Ministry of the Interior and other involved agencies will steadily improve regulations in areas such as personnel administration, Mainland entry and exit management and to reinforce management of civil servants going to the Mainland for study.