China-born spouse denied right to run for local office in Hsinchu

Taipei, Oct. 7 (CNA) The Hsinchu County Election Commission on Wednesday disqualified Li Chen-hsiu (李貞秀) from running for Zhubei mayor, citing a 10-year household registration requirement for Chinese citizens naturalized as Taiwanese nationals seeking public office.

Li, a China-born spouse, was subject to Article 21 of the Cross-Strait Act, which requires individuals who previously held household registration in the People's Republic of China (PRC) to have had Taiwanese household registration in Taiwan for 10 years before running for public office, according to the election commission's press release.

To qualify for the Nov. 28 local elections, Li was required to submit proof that she relinquished her household registration in China before Nov. 28, 2016, the commission said after reviewing the candidates' eligibility.

The commission said the decision was based on an interpretation of Article 21 of the law issued by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on April 16, 2026, which says the authorities consider a person to have given up their household registration in China only from the date they submit proof of its renunciation to the National Immigration Agency (NIA).

According to Li, she became a naturalized citizen of the Republic of China (ROC) in 1999 and was approved to establish household registration in Taiwan.

However, Li did not submit to the NIA proof that she had relinquished her household registration in China until March 2025, according to the MAC in February 2026.

Li was among many naturalized China-born spouses who failed to submit such proof to the NIA, even though Article 9-1 of the Cross-Strait Act prohibits Taiwan residents from maintaining household registration in China or holding PRC passports.

The requirement was strictly enforced only from early 2025, when the MAC began reviewing the household registration status of more than 140,000 China-born spouses and gave about 12,000 a deadline to submit supporting documents.

Li was sworn in as a legislator in February 2026 alongside five other Taiwan People's Party (TPP) at-large legislators under the party's two-year rotation rule, halfway through the current term.

Li's assumption of office as the first China-born spouse to serve in the Legislature sparked widespread debate over her eligibility, which continued until April, when the TPP expelled her over statements she made that "harmed the party's reputation and unity."

At the time, the MAC said Li would not be eligible to run for public office until 2035, as she submitted proof of relinquishing her China household registration in March 2025.

Amid controversy over Li's eligibility to serve as a legislator, the MAC in April 2026 issued the interpretation cited by the Hsinchu County Election Commission.

On Wednesday, Li said that the Hsinchu County Election Commission's decision has affected her right to run for office under the Republic of China (Taiwan) Constitution.

Li said she would seek legal remedies to challenge the Hsinchu County Election Commission's decision and continue her bid for Zhubei mayor.