Taiwan's defence ministry says 62 soldiers found with Chinese residency permits

Taiwan’s defence ministry on Wednesday confirmed that 62 active-duty soldiers hold residency permits for China.

The issue raised concerns about possible security risks and divided loyalties within the military.

Taiwan's defence minister Wellington Koo told lawmakers that service members will no longer be allowed to handle classified or sensitive information. While holding such permits is not illegal in Taiwan, it could pose a problem if tensions with China escalate.

“These permits do not equal citizenship,” Koo said, adding that no soldiers were found to have Chinese passports or identity cards, which would require giving up Taiwanese citizenship.

The permits give the holder the right to live in mainland China. Some worry this could be used as an escape option if a conflict breaks out. China does not recognise Taiwanese passports but issues special travel documents for Taiwanese citizens to visit or stay on the mainland.

Taiwan, which split from China during the civil war in 1949, is still claimed by Beijing. China has been using “grey zone” tactics—non-military methods like propaganda and infiltration—to weaken Taiwan’s defence and morale.

Historically, many in Taiwan have family ties to the mainland. Around 2 million of Taiwan’s 23 million people have roots there, including those who came with Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist forces after Mao Zedong took control of China.

Despite this, most Taiwanese people support the island’s de-facto independence and want a strong military. The country has about 150,000 active troops and 1.6 million reservists. It has also extended mandatory military training and invested in advanced weapons systems.