Taiwanese-Chinese same-sex couples can now legally register their marriages in Taiwan, Liang Wen-chieh, a spokesman for the island’s Mainland Affairs Council, announced Thursday, recognising cross-border unions with China for the first time.
Same-sex couples will have to marry in one of the 35 countries that recognize such equality before going through a registration process similar to that for heterosexual couples, including interviews at the border.
“This is our current principle for cross-Strait marriages, in order to prevent fake marriages and avoid national security and social problems.”explained the Taiwanese executive, which thus maintains the principle of equality.
A significant step forward for LGBT+ rights in the region, despite ongoing tensions between the two neighbours.
Indeed, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) continues to reject any notion of Taiwanese independence, considering the island a rebel province over which it claims sovereignty. This dynamic has complicated, until now, the recognition of cross-border unions, while Taiwan has legalized marriage for all since 2019.
