TAIPEI:  , Same-sex Taiwanese-Chinese couples are now legally able to register their marriages in Taiwan, Taipei said on Thursday ( Sep 19 ).
Taiwan has long been at the vanguard of Asia’s burgeoning LGBTQ rights activity, becoming the first country in the region to legalize wedding justice in 2019.
Cross-strait same-sex spouses were never covered by this due to conflicts between Taiwan and China, which claims the self-ruled peninsula as part of its territory and maintains normal military activities around it.
In contrast, heterosexual couples with Chinese and Japanese spouses have to go through a more challenging divorce application than other foreign couples, having to first get married abroad and then go through a Taiwan interview before registering their union.
But “from then on, same-sex people can now be subject to the regulations of homosexual couples”, said Liang Wen-chieh, the spokeswoman for Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council – which handles cross-strait affairs– during a regular lecture.
After submitting their marriage license and other documentation, “relevant companies may conduct discussions with the couple” and would first have to be officially wed in one of the 35 nations that recognize marriage equality.
They can enter the country to record their marriages after passing the exam at the aircraft and ports. This is our latest concept for cross-strait relationships”, he said.
Liang added that the laws governing homosexual cross-strait unions have long been in area” to avoid cross-border false relationships and prevent problems of national security and social get.”