Taiwan has lengthy been on the forefront of Asia’s burgeoning LGBTQ rights motion, changing into in 2019 the primary place within the area to legalise marriage equality. File.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

Identical-sex Taiwanese-Chinese language {couples} at the moment are legally capable of register their marriages in Taiwan, Taipei stated Thursday (September 19, 2024), recognising cross-strait unions for the primary time.

Taiwan has lengthy been on the forefront of Asia’s burgeoning LGBTQ rights motion, changing into in 2019 the primary place within the area to legalise marriage equality.

However tensions between Taiwan and China — which claims the self-ruled island as a part of its territory and maintains each day army actions round it — have meant cross-strait {couples} weren’t afforded the identical proper.

In the meantime, heterosexual {couples} consisting of a Chinese language and Taiwanese partner face a extra difficult course of than different worldwide {couples}, needing to first marry overseas after which move an interview in Taiwan earlier than registering their marriage.

However “any more, same-sex {couples} can now be topic to the rules of heterosexual {couples},” stated Liang Wen-chieh, the spokesman for Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council — which handles cross-strait affairs — throughout an everyday briefing.

They might first need to be legally wedded in one of many 35 international locations that recognise marriage equality, and after submitting their marriage certificates and different paperwork, “related companies will conduct interviews with the couple”.

“Solely after passing the interview on the border (on the airport and ports) can they enter the nation to register their marriages. That is our present precept for cross-strait marriages,” he stated.

Liang added that the principles governing heterosexual cross-strait marriages have lengthy been in place “to forestall cross-border faux marriages and keep away from issues of nationwide safety and social order”.

With Thursday’s announcement, “the federal government upholds the precept of treating same-sex marriage and heterosexual marriage equally,” he stated.

There are presently round 360,000 Chinese language spouses of Taiwanese residents on the island.

They’ve to attend six years to use for citizenship in Taiwan — twice so long as these from different international locations.

Separated from mainland China by a slim 180-kilometre (110-mile) waterway, Taiwan has its personal authorities, army and forex. Beijing has stated it can by no means surrender using power to carry the democratic island underneath its management.