Taipei [Taiwan], May 5 : Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior (MOI) reaffirmed its request for transparency in lawmakers' travel to China, announcing that it had formally notified the Legislative Yuan on April 24 to designate a representative responsible for uploading legislators' China-bound travel itineraries to a newly established ministry Web site, Taipei Times reported.
The notice follows the ministry's earlier launch, on April 17, of an online platform created to allow religious, civic, and public organisations to register trips to China. The MOI said the purpose of the system is to offer better support to Taiwanese groups and individuals in the event of any trouble during their travels.
The same mechanism, it said, could be used by the legislature to record lawmakers' travel details. Emphasising the importance of accountability, the ministry stated that "democratically elected officials have been granted power by the public and should make the itineraries of their trips to China transparent."
However, the directive has drawn sharp criticism from several lawmakers in the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). Legislator Fu Kun-chi denounced the move as unconstitutional, calling it an infringement on the freedom of movement, which he said is guaranteed by the Constitution. He also said the legislature "would not aid and abet irrational measures issued by an autocratic administration," reported Taipei times.
KMT Legislator Chen Yu-jen echoed the criticism, stating that the MOI has no jurisdiction over the Legislative Yuan and that it is entirely up to individual legislators to decide whether to share their travel information. She added that the idea of the ministry attempting to regulate lawmakers' destinations was fundamentally flawed, as the legislature provides oversight of the MOI, not the other way around.
"I post about my travels on Facebook," she said, "and the ministry is welcome to look at my page to know about my whereabouts."
Fellow KMT lawmaker Wu Tsung-hsien argued that the policy served partisan interests, claiming it politically benefited the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rather than addressing national security. He suggested the DPP focus on alleged internal espionage cases involving its own members, including a former aide to then foreign minister Joseph Wu, Taipei Times reported.
On the other hand, DPP Legislator Michelle Lin said Taiwan continues to uphold freedom of movement, and clarified that registration does not restrict anyone from making the trip. DPP Legislator Chiu Chih-wei added that lawmakers should not be visiting the nation's "enemy" so frequently, referencing a 2023 KMT delegation to China led by Fu.
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