China recently announced that it will issue the same type of personal identification card to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan residents who live in China for six months or longer. VOA reported on the notice the State Council issued. It stated that that Taiwan resident refers to those Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of Taiwan but don’t have Chinese residential status. The notice also mentioned that ID cards will allow residents from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan to have the same type of benefits that the rest of the Chinese citizens have, including employment, education, insurance, and housing funding. However these residents also should provide their personal information to the Public Security Bureau, including their finger prints. The ID card they have would contain an embedded chip that has the ability to track an individual’s whereabouts. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said that the ID card is only a piece of card. It does not mean that we (the Taiwan Government) acknowledge the political system it represents. Another Taiwan official has reminded Taiwan residents that the Chinese government has been escalating surveillance of its residents. Any Taiwan resident who wishes to work or study in the mainland might bear certain personal risks.
Source: Voice of America, August 19, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/news-china-residence-permits-for-taiwanese-20180819/4534868.html