Mainland China and Taiwan
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) do not recognise each other as sovereign states. They both claim themselves as the only legal government representing the whole China.
Consistent with the 1992 Consensus, the PRC and ROC legally consider both citizens in mainland China and Taiwan as their own citizens, but residing in different areas of the same nation. Neither the PRC nor the ROC accepts passports issued by the other as entry documents.
Citizens in Taiwan use identity documents issued by PRC public-security authorities to enter mainland China. Citizens in mainland China entering Taiwan must also use identity documents issued by the ROC authority, and have their mainland documents surrendered. The identity documents cannot be used for international travel, and an endorsement must be obtained separately to enable travel.
The ROC used to require its citizens who intended travel to mainland China to obtain official approval for the travel, and prescribed an administrative fine of NT$20,000 to NT$100,000 for those who did not. However, the fine was often unenforceable because such travel was untraceable by examination of travel documents, except if an ROC citizen lost his ROC passport while on the mainland, and, so, had to report the loss. The official-approval requirement was abolished, except in relation to ROC officials, of whom applications are required.
— Wikipedia on Passport
2010.03.29 Monday ACHK
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