TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) on Monday rejected a request from the Interior Ministry urging the legislature to expel TPP Legislator Lee Chen-hsiu (李貞秀) over her alleged failure to renounce Chinese nationality.
Citing the Nationality Act, the Interior Ministry said Lee was ineligible to serve as a lawmaker because she had not forfeited her Chinese nationality, per Newtalk. The ministry argued that the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area regulates eligibility to run for public office but does not address whether an elected candidate may assume legislative duties.
In response, Han said he would defend the rights of all lawmakers, including Lee. He said the Interior Ministry should address any potential violations of the Nationality Act through its own channels rather than asking the legislature to intervene.
Lee thanked Han for his support, saying the government should respect the voices of all groups in society, including immigrants who have lived in Taiwan for many years, per UDN.
Han’s remarks drew criticism from the ruling DPP. DPP Legislator Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) accused Han of selectively protecting lawmakers, noting he did not extend similar protection to DPP lawmaker Puma Shen (沈伯洋) after Shen said he was threatened by Chinese authorities, per Mirror Media. Presidential Office adviser Shen Kuo-jung (沈國榮) said he plans to file a joint lawsuit against Lee, accusing her of deliberately violating the law, per Newtalk.
DPP Legislative Caucus Secretary-General Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) warned that Lee could pose a national security risk if allowed to access classified documents or attend high-level briefings, per Liberty Times. DPP Legislator Lin Chu-yin (林楚茵) added that Lee was ineligible to run for office because she had not relinquished her Chinese household registration as of 2024, per CNA.
Under existing regulations, individuals with Taiwanese household registration are prohibited from holding Chinese household registration and may lose their Taiwanese citizenship if they do, per The Reporter. While the rules have long existed, enforcement targeting Chinese spouses and their children intensified in 2024, requiring families to relinquish their Chinese household registrations within three months.
The crackdown drew criticism at the time, with opponents citing the difficulty of obtaining documentary proof from decades ago. Some scholars also questioned the logic of assessing loyalty based on household registration, noting that China could allow favored individuals to relinquish registration and that infiltration efforts are often carried out by Taiwanese nationals.
KMT Legislator Cheng Cheng-chien (鄭正鈐) said the Interior Ministry should bring the dispute before the Constitutional Court, per Liberty Times. He argued that while the Nationality Act bars elected officials from holding dual citizenship, people in China are not treated as foreign nationals under the Constitution and should therefore be excluded from the requirement.
Cheng added that the government should not expect China, which does not recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty, to allow individuals to renounce Chinese nationality in exchange for Taiwanese citizenship.
MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) has previously urged Lee to make every effort to forfeit her Chinese nationality, while acknowledging that no one has successfully renounced Chinese nationality in favor of Taiwanese nationality, per CNA.
An online poll conducted Sunday by NOWNews found that 74% of more than 10,000 respondents said Lee should be allowed to serve as a lawmaker because she has held Taiwanese household registration for more than 10 years, per Storm Media. Others said she should be required to renounce her Chinese nationality first due to national security concerns.
