TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) called for reconsideration of a Nationality Act (國籍法) amendment Tuesday (Dec. 9). The bill has sparked heated debate over implications for mainland Chinese, people from China, seeking to run for public office in Taiwan. The amendment would bypass nationality renunciation requirements for mainland Chinese candidates.
Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), Taiwan's main opposition party, legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) introduced the amendment to clarify the Nationality Act concerning mainland Chinese. The proposal stipulates their eligibility to run for public office should be governed by the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例). The amendment would bypass the Nationality Act's requirements for nationality renunciation.
Fu Kun-chi emphasized the amendment aims to resolve ambiguities between the Nationality Act and the Act Governing Relations. He stated the Constitution's (憲法) Additional Articles clearly allow special laws to define rights and obligations of people from Taiwan and mainland China. Fu stated the Act Governing Relations serves as this special law, providing comprehensive regulations on household registration, identity, employment, and public office qualifications.
The proposed amendment would allow mainland Chinese who legally obtain household registration in Taiwan to have public office eligibility determined by special laws. The change would bypass the Nationality Act's foreign nationality renunciation requirement. Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), Legislative Yuan speaker, Taiwan's parliament leader, decided to address the DPP's reconsideration request later, leaving the amendment's future uncertain. ◼