TPP lawmaker sworn in as nationality status remains unresolved

Taipei, Feb. 3 (CNA) Taiwan People's Party (TPP) lawmaker Li Chen-hsiu (李貞秀) said she would pledge allegiance to the Republic of China (ROC) despite being unable to officially renounce her Chinese nationality, after she was sworn in as a legislator-at-large at the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday.

Li, a Taiwanese national originally from China, was sworn in alongside five other newly seated TPP legislators -- Hung Yu-hsiang (洪毓祥), Tsai Chun-chou (蔡春綢), Wang An-hsiang (王安祥), Chiu Hui-ju (邱慧洳) and Chen Ching-lung (陳清龍) -- under the party's "two-year clause," which mandates that all TPP at-large legislators in the 11th Legislature serve only two years instead of the standard four.

Under Article 20 of Taiwan's Nationality Act, government offices restricted by nationality may only be held by ROC nationals. Officials who concurrently hold another nationality are required to initiate renunciation of that nationality before taking office and complete the renunciation process, including submission of proof, within one year of assuming office.

However, while Chinese law provides a mechanism for nationality renunciation, its applicability in cases like Li's remains unclear, as Beijing does not recognize the ROC as a foreign sovereign state.

The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said lawmakers must complete the required procedures within the legally prescribed timeframe or face removal under the law. It said it has formally requested that Li renounce her PRC nationality and has sent her office a People's Republic of China (PRC) nationality renunciation application form. The ministry also asked Li to provide proof that such an application has been filed.

Li told reporters Tuesday that she had traveled to mainland China to apply for the renunciation of her citizenship, but her application was rejected by public security bureaus in both Hengnan County and Hengyang City, Hunan Province.

She added that her request was similarly turned away by the municipal-level public security bureau.

She said no naturalized Chinese spouses has successfully renounced PRC nationality to meet Taiwan's legal requirements, a point the Mainland Affairs Council has also acknowledged. She added that she would submit documentation showing that Chinese authorities refused to accept her application so that the MOI "can try" to resolve the issue.

Li said she loves Taiwan and identifies with the ROC. After receiving her certificate of election from the Central Election Commission (CEC) on Monday and taking the oath of office Tuesday, she said she would pledge allegiance solely to the ROC.

Li said she has lived in Taiwan for more than three decades -- longer than she lived in mainland China -- and that her five children are Taiwanese. She also said she has never held a PRC passport.

Separately, Minister without Portfolio Chen Chin-te (陳金德) told reporters that the CEC should revoke Li's election certificate if she cannot prove she holds no nationality other than the ROC.

He called on the CEC and MOI to review existing regulations and examine how similar cases should be handled in the future, including what documentation should be required before issuing certificates of election.