TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Tuesday refused to answer questions from China-born TPP Legislator Li Chen-hsiu (李貞秀), saying she is not legally qualified as a lawmaker and that Cabinet officials have no obligation to respond, per CNA.
Li made her first interpellation at the Legislative Yuan plenary session. After taking the interpellation podium, she asked Cho, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳), and Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) to step forward, but Cho gestured that Liu and Chiu did not need to come up.
Cho then walked to the officials’ podium and told Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) that he had done so out of respect for the speaker’s role in maintaining order. He said Li had not legally renounced her Chinese household registration and nationality, which violates the Cross-Strait Act and the Nationality Act.
He said she had not fulfilled her obligation to demonstrate “sole allegiance to the Republic of China” under Article 20 of the Nationality Act. Therefore, Cho said she could not be considered a legally qualified legislator, and that the responsibility lay with the Chinese government, not Taiwan’s.
The premier said anyone holding Chinese nationality must abide by China’s constitution, as well as Beijing’s Anti-Secession Law, National Intelligence Law, Counter-Espionage Law, and National Security Law. This includes obligations to promote unification and collect intelligence for China.
He said a lawful Taiwan legislator must strictly safeguard state secrets and national security. If there are doubts about a person’s qualifications, they would either violate Chinese law or be required to comply with it, which would, in turn, violate Taiwan’s laws.
Cho said only after completing all legal procedures could one serve as a qualified legislator and exercise the constitutional right of interpellation. Without completing those procedures, one is not a Taiwan legislator, cannot exercise constitutional rights, and the Cabinet has no obligation to respond.
He said executive officials were expressing their position to the speaker and had no obligation to accept questioning from anyone not legally qualified as a legislator. Cho said this is a matter of loyalty to the Constitution and a responsibility officials must uphold.
Han said legislators have the constitutional right to question the premier and Cabinet officials during plenary sessions, a system designed under the principles of representative and accountable government. He expressed hope that the premier and officials would respect lawmakers’ interpellation rights in accordance with regulations.
Han then announced a recess, while Li remained at the interpellation podium. About eight minutes later, the session resumed, and Li stood alone to deliver her remarks until her time expired, with Cho and Cabinet officials still absent from the officials’ podium.
Li criticized the Cabinet’s handling of her interpellation, saying its attitude was regrettable. She accused the DPP of undermining the rule of law, suppressing dissent, and blocking oversight.
She added that the incident was not only directed at her but also sent a message to all new immigrants that their voices, including those of Chinese spouses, could be denied or erased. Li urged the Cabinet to respect the legislature, a pluralistic society, and the political rights of Chinese spouses.
