Forced abortions for China-Taiwan couples

Relations between Taiwan and China have been strained since the countries split in 1949

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- At least six Chinese women married to Taiwanese nationals have been requested to have abortions on visits home to the mainland, according to a Taipei Times report.

The women were reportedly cooerced to have abortions or undergo sterilization surgery by Chinese birth control personnel to comply with China's one-child policy.

They were also threatened with punishment and fined by Chinese officials, Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said.

"The victims only described what the Chinese officials told them to do, but we don't know for a fact if anyone was truly forced to have an abortion because they keep it private," the Taipei Times reported Patricia Lin of the Straits Exchange Foundation as saying.

"Under current Taiwanese regulations, children from cross-strait marriages can be registered as permanent residents of Taiwan, so they won't be a burden to China," Lin said.

Women pregnant with a first child were also told to have an abortion having failed to get permission from the government to give birth, according to the report.

Taiwan's Government Information Office Web site describes the Straits Exchange Foundation as "the only private organization authorized by the government to handle relations with the mainland."

The foundation is not, however, authorized to discuss political issues.

Strained relations

Relations between Taiwan and China have been strained since the countries split in 1949. Despite this, there have been many marriages between Chinese and Taiwanese citizens.

About 150,000 mainland Chinese have married Taiwanese, however the quota system only allows for 3,600 to settle in Taiwan per year.

Taiwan allows pregnant Chinese spouses who do not have residency rights to extend their stay, so they can give birth on the island and avoid forced abortion.