Japan to let Taiwan be listed as place of origin

Japan will allow people from Taiwan to list the island as their place of origin in the country's family registry instead of China, a justice ministry official said yesterday.

When a Japanese citizen marries someone from overseas, the spouse's nationality and name are recorded in the registry system that local governments must maintain by law.

People from Taiwan - regarded as a region under a policy in place since 1972 when Tokyo normalized ties with Beijing - are to date described as from China.

But "from May, after revisions to ministry rules, a name of a region can be written in the nationality field," following requests from Taiwanese spouses who want to express their regional identity, a justice ministry official said.

Japan's residence certificates for mid - to long-term foreign residents already allow Taiwanese to describe themselves as from Taiwan, the official noted, adding that "practical difficulties have also arisen due to discrepancies in the country or region names - Taiwan on the residence card, and China in the family register."

Taiwan's government welcomed the decision, which will "demonstrate respect for the identity of Taiwanese residents in Japan" and "provide greater clarity in identification," its foreign ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuangwei said.

But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun panned the revision. "We urge the Japanese side to abide by the one-China principle," Guo told reporters after Japanese media reported the change. "No gimmicks on the Taiwan question, and do not send any conflicting or wrong signals."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE