View source for Mainland Affairs Council

{{Short description|Taiwanese government agency}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Coord|25|02|33|N|121|31|11|E|display=title}}

{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name     = Mainland Affairs Council
| nativename      = 
| nativename_a    = {{lang|zh-tw|大陸委員會}}
| nativename_r    = {{lang|zh-tw|Dàlù Wěiyuánhuì}} ([[Taiwanese Mandarin|Mandarin]])<br>{{lang|hak|Thai-liu̍k Vî-yèn-fi}} ([[Taiwanese Hakka|Hakka]])
| logo            = 
| logo_width      = 200px
| logo_caption    = 
| seal            = 
| seal_width      = 
| seal_caption    = 
| formed          = August 1988 (as Inter-Agency Mainland Affairs Committee)<br>28 January 1991 (as MAC)<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mac.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=94003&ctNode=7108&mp=3|title=Mainland Affairs Council, Republic of China (Taiwan)|date=22 February 2017|access-date=23 March 2013|archive-date=5 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240505205307/https://www.mac.gov.tw/en/News_Content.aspx?n=803F3469131DAF19&sms=B82C8C4331A350DC&s=F25F56E6024719B2|url-status=live}}</ref>
| preceding1      = Department of Unification (1957–1988)
| preceding2      = 
| dissolved       = 
| superseding     = 
| jurisdiction    = Republic of China
| headquarters    = [[Zhongzheng District|Zhongzheng]], [[Taipei]], Taiwan
| employees       = 
| budget          = 
| minister1_name  = [[Chiu Chui-cheng]]
| minister1_pfo   = Minister
| minister2_name  = Liang Wen-jie, Shen You-zhong, [[Lee Li-chen]]
| minister2_pfo   = Deputy Ministers
| chief1_name     = 
| chief1_position = 
| parent_agency   = [[Executive Yuan]]
| child1_agency   = [[Straits Exchange Foundation]]
| child2_agency   = 
| website         = {{Official URL}}
| footnotes       = 
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| title = Mainland Affairs Council
| t = {{linktext|大陸|委員會}}
| s = {{linktext|大陆|委员会}}
| l = Mainland Committee
| p = Dàlù Wěiyuánhuì
| poj = Tāi-lio̍k Úi-oân-hōe
| tl = Tāi-lio̍k Úi-uân-hūe
| phfs = Thai-liu̍k Vî-yèn-fi
}}

The '''Mainland Affairs Council''' ('''MAC''') is a [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]]-level administrative agency under the [[Executive Yuan]] of the Republic of China ([[Taiwan]]). The MAC is responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of the [[cross-strait relations]] policy which targets [[mainland China]], [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]].<ref name="tail">{{cite book |last=Chi |first=Su |title=Taiwan's relations with Mainland China |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hdTMuHG2hXcC&q=mainland+affairs+council&pg=PA88 |access-date=August 28, 2017 |year=2009 |publisher=Routledge |location=London and New York |isbn=978-0-415-46454-3 |chapter=Conciliation in cross-strait relations |pages=4 |archive-date=May 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240505205104/https://books.google.com/books?id=hdTMuHG2hXcC&q=mainland+affairs+council&pg=PA88#v=snippet&q=mainland%20affairs%20council&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

The MAC's counterpart body in the [[China|People's Republic of China]] is the [[Taiwan Affairs Office]]. Both states officially claim each other's territory, though both sides control only part of the claimed territory. The affairs related to the PRC in mainland China is dealt by the MAC, instead of the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]].

The council plays an important role in setting policy and development of cross-strait relations and advising the central government.<ref name="tail" />  It is administered by a [[Executive Yuan|cabinet level]] Minister. The current Minister is [[Chiu Tai-san]]. The agency funds and indirectly administers the [[Straits Exchange Foundation]] which directly interacts with agencies from the PRC.

==History==
The government of ROC does not recognize the legitimacy and sovereignty of PRC since its establishment in 1949, and [[Chinese Civil War|heated armed conflicts]] went on between both parties. The Republic of China controls only Taiwan, Penghu, and some other islands, and therefore is usually known as "Taiwan", sometimes referred to as the "[[Taiwan Area|Free Area]]" in the Republic of China by the [[Constitution of the Republic of China]]. The People's Republic of China controls [[mainland China]] as well as Hong Kong, Macau, and other islands, and is therefore usually known as "China". As the relation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait cooled down, [[Government of the Republic of China|ROC government]] allowed family-related visits to mainland China in November 1987. The [[Executive Yuan]] established the '''Inter-Agency Mainland Affairs Committee''' in August 1988 as a taskforce to handle mainland-related affairs among the authorities. In April 1990, the ROC government drafted the Organization Act for the Mainland Affairs Council to strengthen mainland China policy making and to enhance policy making efficiency. The third reading of the act was passed by the [[Legislative Yuan]] on 18 January 1991. On 28 January 1991, the act was promulgated by [[President of the Republic of China|President]] [[Lee Teng-hui]] thus officially authorized the '''Mainland Affairs Council''' to be the agency for the overall planning and handling of affairs towards mainland China.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref name=tail />

In 2017, some of the responsibilities of the [[Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission]] (MTAC) were absorbed into the MAC's Department of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs, creating the expanded Department of Hong Kong, Macao, Inner Mongolia, and Tibet Affairs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-08-16 |title=Taiwan calls time on Mongolia and Tibet affairs commission |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2106907/taiwan-calls-time-mongolia-and-tibet-affairs-commission |access-date=2020-04-26 |website=[[South China Morning Post]] |language=en |archive-date=2020-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625050723/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2106907/taiwan-calls-time-mongolia-and-tibet-affairs-commission |url-status=live }}</ref>

As cross-strait relations worsened again in the early 2020s, the MAC banned Taiwanese citizens from working at [[Confucius Institute]]s, the [[Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits]] (ARATS), the [[All-China Youth Federation]], and the [[All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots]] in 2024 out of national security concerns.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-03 |title=Taiwan bans its citizens from working for China's Confucius Institutes |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202405030001 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240503183553/https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202405030001 |archive-date=May 3, 2024 |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=[[Focus Taiwan]] |language=en-US}}</ref> In January 2025, the MAC revoked the operating license of ''[[The Strait Herald]]'' due to its [[United front in Taiwan|united front work]] on the island.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kerimu |first=Aynur |date=27 January 2025 |title=Expulsion of PRC Media Outlet Reveals Scale of Taiwan’s Information Challenge |url=https://jamestown.org/program/expulsion-of-prc-media-outlet-reveals-scale-of-taiwans-information-challenge/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=[[Jamestown Foundation]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Organizational structure==
[[File:Mainland Affairs Council from VOA.jpg|thumb|Mainland Affairs Council office]]
[[File:ROC Mainland Affairs Council press conference lectern 20170203.jpg|thumb|Mainland Affairs Council press conference lectern]]
The agency is organized in the following departments:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mac.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=94005&ctNode=7108&mp=3 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508025920/http://www.mac.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=94005&ctNode=7108&mp=3 |archive-date=2014-05-08 |title=Organizational Structure of the MAC ─ Mainland Affairs Council}}</ref>

===Internal departments===
* Department of Policy Planning
* Department of Cultural and Educational Affairs
* Department of Economic Affairs
* Department of Legal Affairs
* Department of Hong Kong, Macao, Inner Mongolia, and Tibet Affairs
* Department of Information and Liaison

===Offices===
* Secretariat
* Personnel Office
* Accounting Office
* Civil Servant Ethics Office
* Information Management

===Others===
* [[Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong|Office of Hong Kong Affairs]]
* [[Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Macau|Office of Macao Affairs]]

==List of MAC heads==
[[File:邱垂正主任委員.png|thumb|[[Chiu Chui-cheng]], current Minister of MAC.]]
{{legend2|{{party color|Non-partisan}}|Non-partisan/ unknown|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend2|{{party color|Kuomintang}}|[[Kuomintang]] (Nationalist)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend2|{{party color|Democratic Progressive Party}}|[[Democratic Progressive Party]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend2|{{party color|Taiwan Solidarity Union}}|[[Taiwan Solidarity Union]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{| class="wikitable"
|--
! No.
! width="180"|Name
! colspan=2 width="180"|Term of Office
! Days
! width="100"|Political Party
! width="120"|Premier
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Kuomintang}}; color:white;" | 1
| align=center|[[Shih Chi-yang]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|施啟揚}}
| 7 February 1991 || 31 May 1991 || {{age in days|1991|2|7|1991|5|31}}
| rowspan="6" | [[Kuomintang]]
| [[Hau Pei-tsun]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Kuomintang}}; color:white;" | 2
| align=center|[[Huang Kun-huei]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|黃昆輝}}
| 1 June 1991 || 14 December 1994 || {{age in days|1991|6|1|1994|12|14}}
| [[Hau Pei-tsun]]<br>[[Lien Chan]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Kuomintang}}; color:white;" | 3
| align=center|[[Vincent Siew]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|蕭萬長}}
| 15 December 1994 || 3 December 1995 || {{age in days|1994|12|15|1995|12|3}}
| [[Lien Chan]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Kuomintang}}; color:white;" | —
| align=center|[[Kao Koong-lian]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|高孔廉}}
| 3 December 1995 || 27 February 1996 || {{age in days|1995|12|3|1996|2|27}}
| [[Lien Chan]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Kuomintang}}; color:white;" | 4
| align=center|[[Chang King-yuh]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|張京育}}
| 28 February 1996 || 31 January 1999 || {{age in days|1996|2|28|1999|1|31}}
| [[Lien Chan]]<br>[[Vincent Siew]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Kuomintang}}; color:white;" | 5
| align=center|[[Su Chi]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|蘇起}}
| 1 February 1999 || 19 May 2000 || {{age in days|1999|2|1|2000|5|19}}
| [[Vincent Siew]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Non-partisan}}; color:black;" | 6
| align=center|[[Tsai Ing-wen]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|蔡英文}}
| 20 May 2000 || 19 May 2004 || {{age in days|2000|5|20|2004|5|19}}
| Independent
| [[Tang Fei]]<br>[[Chang Chun-hsiung]] I<br>[[Yu Shyi-kun]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Democratic Progressive Party}}; color:white;" | 7
| align=center|[[Joseph Wu]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|吳釗燮}}
| 20 May 2004 || 10 April 2007 || {{age in days|2004|5|20|2007|4|10}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Democratic Progressive Party]]
| [[Yu Shyi-kun]]<br>[[Frank Hsieh]]<br>[[Su Tseng-chang]] I
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Democratic Progressive Party}}; color:white;" | 8
| align=center|[[Chen Ming-tong]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|陳明通}}
| 10 April 2007 || 19 May 2008 || {{age in days|2007|4|10|2008|5|19}}
| [[Su Tseng-chang]] I<br>[[Chang Chun-hsiung]] II
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Taiwan Solidarity Union}}; color:black;" | 9
| align=center|[[Lai Shin-yuan]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|賴幸媛}}
| 20 May 2008 || 28 September 2012 || {{age in days|2008|5|20|2012|9|28}}
| [[Taiwan Solidarity Union]]
| [[Liu Chao-shiuan]]<br>[[Wu Den-yih]]<br>[[Sean Chen (politician)|Sean Chen]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Kuomintang}}; color:white;" | 10
| align=center|[[Wang Yu-chi]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|王郁琦}}
| 28 September 2012 || 16 February 2015 || {{age in days|2012|9|28|2015|2|16}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Kuomintang]]
| [[Sean Chen (politician)|Sean Chen]]<br>[[Jiang Yi-huah]]<br>[[Mao Chi-kuo]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Kuomintang}}; color:white;" | 11
| align=center|[[Andrew Hsia]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|夏立言}}
| 16 February 2015 || 19 May 2016 || {{age in days|2015|2|16|2016|5|19}}
| [[Mao Chi-kuo]]<br>[[Chang San-cheng]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Non-partisan}}; color:black;" | 12
| align=center|[[Katharine Chang]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|張小月}}
| 20 May 2016 || 26 February 2018 || {{age in days|2016|5|20|2018|2|26}}
| rowspan="2" | Independent
| [[Lin Chuan]]<br>[[William Lai]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Non-partisan}}; color:black;" | —
| align=center|[[Lin Cheng-yi (minister)|Lin Cheng-yi]] ''as acting''<br>{{lang|zh-TW|林正義}}
| 26 February 2018 || 19 March 2018 || {{age in days|2018|2|26|2018|3|19}}
| [[William Lai]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Democratic Progressive Party}}; color:white;" | <small>(8)</small>
| align=center|[[Chen Ming-tong]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|陳明通}}
| 19 March 2018 || 23 February 2021 || {{age in days|2018|3|19|2021|2|23}}
| rowspan="3" | [[Democratic Progressive Party]]
| [[William Lai]]<br>[[Su Tseng-chang]] II
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Democratic Progressive Party}}; color:white;" | 13
| align=center|[[Chiu Tai-san]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|邱太三}}
| 23 February 2021 || 20 May 2024 || {{age in days|2021|2|23|2024|5|20}}
| [[Su Tseng-chang]] II<br>[[Chen Chien-jen]]
|--
! style="background:{{party color|Democratic Progressive Party}}; color:white;" | 14
| align=center|[[Chiu Chui-cheng]]<br>{{lang|zh-TW|邱垂正}}
| 20 May 2024 || ''Incumbent'' || {{age in days|2024|5|20}}
| [[Cho Jung-tai]]
|--
|}

== See also ==
* [[National Unification Council]]
* [[Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau]]
*[[Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland]] — similar organization in North Korea
*[[Ministry of Unification]] — similar organization in South Korea
*[[Minister of Intra-German Relations]] — similar organization in [[West Germany]]
*[[State Ministry for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia]] — similar organization in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]
*[[Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories]] — similar organization in [[Ukraine]]

{{Clear}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Mainland Affairs Council}}

{{Clear}}
{{Executive Yuan}}
{{Cross-Strait relations}}
{{Portal bar|Taiwan|China}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1988 establishments in Taiwan]]
[[Category:Cross-strait relations]]
[[Category:Executive Yuan]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1988]]