TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — KMT Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) and 15 other lawmakers have been accused of proposing a Nationality Act amendment that critics say could allow Chinese nationals to run for public office in Taiwan, SETN reported Saturday.
The draft amendment would change Article 20 of the Nationality Act. Critics said it would loosen rules for Chinese nationals who have obtained Taiwan household registration but still maintain household registration in China.
Under the proposal, these people could become eligible for more elected offices in Taiwan. Critics said this could eventually allow them to run for major offices, including legislator or president.
DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) criticized the proposal in a Facebook post. He said the amendment would allow Chinese nationals to hold public office in Taiwan and could even open the way for them to run for president.
Wang said the bill would benefit China and harm Taiwan, calling it an open move to help Beijing take over Taiwan. He also said the Cabinet could refuse to approve and publish such a law, and urged Taiwanese to protect the country through democratic means in the 2026 and 2028 elections.
Kuma Academy, a Taiwanese nonprofit civil defense organization, also criticized the proposal on social media. It said the bill would open a door for Chinese nationals to enter Taiwan’s politics after gaining Taiwan household registration.
The group said the proposal could also help China claim that people from China are not foreigners under Taiwan law. It said Beijing could use this point to support its claim that Taiwan is part of China.
Taipei City Councilor Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) said public officials handle major policies and national security information, so Taiwan must ensure they are loyal to the country. She said opposing the bill was not about party politics, but about protecting Taiwan’s democracy and national security from Chinese pressure, influence, and disinformation, per FTV News.
NOWnews reported that Fu’s office rejected the accusation and denied that he had proposed changing Article 20 of the Nationality Act. The office said Taiwan’s presidential election law already bars people who have restored their nationality, naturalized citizens, and people from China, Hong Kong, or Macau who entered Taiwan with government approval from registering as presidential or vice presidential candidates.