(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan said it would recognize same-sex marriages between Chinese and Taiwanese people, a move that could benefit hundreds of couples in the democratically run archipelago.
The couples can register a marriage after they legally tie the knot in a third country, a spokesperson for the government department in Taipei that handles relations with China said at a briefing on Thursday.
They would need to go through an interview process, the spokesperson added. The change could benefit a few hundred couples in Taiwan, according to local media reports.
The announcement represents an expansion of the landmark marriage-equality law passed in 2019 in Taiwan that made the archipelago of 23 million people the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex unions. Taiwan has long been something of a beacon for LGBTQ rights in East Asia. Taipei’s annual gay pride event is the largest in the region.
The move also further contrasts democratic Taiwan with authoritarian China, which has pledged to bring the archipelago of 23 million people under its control someday. Under President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government has promoted heterosexual unions that produce children and same-sex marriage isn’t allowed.
--With assistance from Colum Murphy and Josh Xiao.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
