TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After the removal of an elected official in Hualien with household registration in China, Taoyuan is mulling the dismissal of a local borough chief who failed to renounce her Chinese citizenship.
Peng Hsiao-lin (彭小林), the chief of Hejian Borough in Taoyuan’s Xinwu District is a Chinese spouse who has resided in Taiwan for 32 years, reported LTN. Elected as borough chief in 2022, she may soon be expelled from the office given the precedent established in Hualien with the dismissal of Xuetian Village Head Deng Wan-hua (鄧萬華).
Peng reportedly submitted a petition to protest possible dismissal to the Xinwu District office in late 2024. Peng’s petition was forwarded to the Taoyuan's Department of Civil Affairs, and the city is now awaiting guidance from the Ministry of Interior (MOI) to how to address the situation.
Because the issue involves an elected official and the deprivation of rights, the district has so far refrained from removing Peng, per LTN. In the case of Hualien, the district head was allegedly instructed by the MOI to cite the Nationality Act as grounds for the village head's removal.
District offices in Taoyuan and Hualien both expressed uncertainty related to citing the Nationality Act as grounds to remove officials who have been elected to office. From a legal perspective, it may conflict the law governing relations between the people of Taiwan and China.
On Sunday, Peng defended her status as a Chinese spouse in Taiwan and her position as a borough chief. Peng says she was fairly elected by the people of her community, and that interference by the central government to remove her would be unconstitutional, reported UDN.
Earlier this year, all Chinese spouses in the country were ordered to renounce their household registration in China before June 30 or forfeit residency in Taiwan. In mid-July, it was reported that around 90% have complied with the order, although more than 1,000 individuals have failed to do so.
In addition to cases in Hualien and Taoyuan, there are reportedly other cases of village heads and borough chiefs who still maintain household registration in China. Taouyan’s Department of Civil Affairs said they are aware of other cases in Taipei and New Taipei, per UDN.
