The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) is a 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.

The MAC's counterpart body in the 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.

The council plays an important role in setting policy and development of cross-strait relations and advising the central government. It is administered by a 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 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 "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, 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 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.

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.

As cross-strait relations worsened again in the early 2020s, the MAC banned Taiwanese citizens from working at Confucius Institutes, 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. In January 2025, the MAC revoked the operating license of The Strait Herald due to its united front work on the island.

Organizational structure

The agency is organized in the following departments:

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 Office of Hong Kong Affairs Office of Macao Affairs

List of MAC heads

No.NameTerm of Office DaysPolitical PartyPremier 1Shih Chi-yang 7 February 1991 31 May 1991 Kuomintang Hau Pei-tsun 2Huang Kun-huei 1 June 1991 14 December 1994 Hau Pei-tsunLien Chan 3Vincent Siew 15 December 1994 3 December 1995 Lien Chan —Kao Koong-lian 3 December 1995 27 February 1996 Lien Chan 4Chang King-yuh 28 February 1996 31 January 1999 Lien ChanVincent Siew 5Su Chi 1 February 1999 19 May 2000 Vincent Siew 6Tsai Ing-wen 20 May 2000 19 May 2004 Independent Tang FeiChang Chun-hsiung IYu Shyi-kun 7Joseph Wu 20 May 2004 10 April 2007 Democratic Progressive Party Yu Shyi-kunFrank HsiehSu Tseng-chang I 8Chen Ming-tong 10 April 2007 19 May 2008 Su Tseng-chang IChang Chun-hsiung II 9Lai Shin-yuan 20 May 2008 28 September 2012 Taiwan Solidarity Union Liu Chao-shiuanWu Den-yihSean Chen 10Wang Yu-chi 28 September 2012 16 February 2015 Kuomintang Sean ChenJiang Yi-huahMao Chi-kuo 11Andrew Hsia 16 February 2015 19 May 2016 Mao Chi-kuoChang San-cheng 12Katharine Chang 20 May 2016 26 February 2018 Independent Lin ChuanWilliam Lai —Lin Cheng-yi as acting 26 February 2018 19 March 2018 William Lai (8)Chen Ming-tong 19 March 2018 23 February 2021 Democratic Progressive Party William LaiSu Tseng-chang II 13Chiu Tai-san 23 February 2021 20 May 2024 Su Tseng-chang IIChen Chien-jen 14Chiu Chui-cheng 20 May 2024 Incumbent Cho Jung-tai

See also Taiwan Affairs Office — counterpart body in China 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 Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories — similar organization in Ukraine

References

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