TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Mainland Affairs Council has urged the Legislative Yuan to review the status of TPP Legislator Lee Chen-hsiu (李貞秀), saying she may be ineligible for public office due to alleged dual household registration.
MAC Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) on Tuesday questioned the authenticity and content of a document Lee submitted stating that she had renounced her Chinese household registration, per ETtoday. Liang said the paperwork differs from documents filed by other Chinese spouses.
Liang added that because Lee did not provide official documentation before 2025, the council does not recognize her claim that she renounced her Chinese household registration in 1993. He said it is the responsibility of the Legislative Yuan to determine whether her lawmaker status should be revoked.
Liang warned that the legislature would bear legal responsibility for any such decision.
An official familiar with cross-strait regulations said the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area introduced a single household registration requirement in 2004, while Lee’s document indicates she gave up her Chinese household registration in 1993, per Liberty Times.
The official said Lee’s document appears inconsistent with the law and its implementation at the time and warned that she could face legal consequences if it is found to be falsified. The official added that if Lee maintained dual household registration between 2004 and 2025, she would have been ineligible to run for the legislature.
Former KMT official Kuei Hung-cheng (桂宏誠) disputed that interpretation, arguing that the MAC’s reasoning for the 2004 amendment to the cross-strait relations act — which introduced the single household registration requirement — effectively meant Lee had already renounced her Chinese household registration in the eyes of Chinese authorities, per Storm Media.
Citing a 2002 MAC press release, Lee said the council had identified the potential issue of dual household registration following a 2000 amendment to the act. The 2000 amendment removed a provision that automatically revoked household registration for Taiwan residents who had lived in China continuously for more than four years.
Kuei said that when the MAC later sought the 2004 amendment, it was attempting to remedy the dual registration issue from Taiwan’s legal perspective. He said the MAC acknowledged at the time that the problem stemmed from Taiwan’s system, noting that under Chinese law, individuals seeking permanent residence in Taiwan are required to have their Chinese household registration revoked.
Meanwhile, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and DPP Legislator Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) declined to recognize Lee’s lawmaker title during a legislative session, per UDN. Chen asked Cho whether Lee was qualified to serve as a legislator.
Cho responded that allegiance to the state must be voluntary and that compelled declarations of loyalty lack meaning. He said that if a legislator expressed loyalty to a country other than Taiwan, the Cabinet would have difficulty providing that legislator — and potentially the legislature as a whole — with sensitive documents.
Chen warned that allowing Lee to attend top-secret briefings could pose national security risks.
Lee protested by holding up a sign reading “Please respect the ROC Constitution,” per UDN. She later said Cho and Chen’s refusal to acknowledge her status amounted to disrespect for Taiwan’s democratic system and described their actions as bullying.
