Several Taiwanese military members have been found holding Chinese residency permits, which has raised questions about their loyalty.
As reported by Associated Press, on Wednesday, April 16, the island's Defence Ministry shared that at least 62 military members are holding the permits.
Such residency permits allow holder the right to reside in China, especially during trouble times.
Since splitting in 1949, China has considered Taiwan a traitorous province and increasingly relied on "gray area" tactics to undermine Taiwan's will to resist on top of its threat of a military invasion.
Furthermore, China, who does not recognise Taiwan passport, has issued a special document allowing Taiwanese to visit the country.
Acquiring these documents are not illegal in Taiwan, but can affect the access to sensitive information.
In this particular case, the 62 active-duty members will be prohibited from handling confidential data.
Defense Minister Wellington Koo informed a legislative hearing that no service members were found to have a Chinese passports or resident identity card, which could mean that they hold Chinese citizenship and would have to withdraw their Taiwanese citizenship.
Giving up the island's citizenship could mean relinquishing visa-free status in many countries and access to Taiwan's generous welfare benefits.
Notably, majority of the country's population favours the current status of Taiwan as independent state and strong defence, with the help of close ally such as the US.
