Taipei: Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday defended the government’s decision to dismiss a village chief in eastern Taiwan over her alleged People’s Republic of China (PRC) nationality, saying she could have attempted to renounce it by applying to the Chinese authorities.
According to Focus Taiwan, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh addressed the issue at a regular news briefing. He stated, “Although they have repeatedly petitioned the government [over the dismissal], I have yet to see any indication that they have actually applied to renounce their Chinese nationality.” Liang emphasized that the village chief could renounce her Chinese nationality under the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Nationality Law, although he noted that no one has ever done so.
The village chief in question, Deng Wan-hua, served as chief of Xuetian Village in Hualien County’s Fuli Township before being removed from her post by the township office last Friday. Deng was one of five village or ward chiefs identified by Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior (MOI) in January as holding PRC nationality, which violates the Nationality Act of the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan’s official name).
Article 20 of the Nationality Act stipulates that a ROC national “who acquires the nationality of another country shall have no right to hold government offices of the ROC.” Liang pointed out that those removed from public office due to holding PRC nationality “should at least try to go through the process” of renouncing it. He added that it remains uncertain whether individuals like Deng can renounce their Chinese nationality under PRC law, as the PRC does not recognize the ROC as a sovereign state.
Furthermore, the legal criteria for renunciation in Taiwan may be difficult for Deng to meet, as she is unlikely to qualify as a “foreign national” or be considered as having “settled abroad.” Liang highlighted that under the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (Cross-Strait Act), individuals from the Mainland Area who acquire Taiwanese nationality can run for public office after 10 years. However, Article 20 of the Nationality Act requires those elected to public office to renounce any foreign nationality within one year of taking office.
Liang underscored that nationality is independent of whether a government recognizes a particular country, citing the example of Northern Cyprus, a self-declared state recognized only by Turkey. He explained that if a person holding Northern Cypriot nationality seeks public office in Taiwan after acquiring Taiwanese citizenship, they must renounce their Northern Cypriot nationality, as per the Nationality Act.
Deng, originally from Guangyuan City in Sichuan Province, came to Taiwan through marriage in 1997 and obtained her Taiwanese national ID card 17 years ago. Elected as village chief in 2022, she maintains that she holds a Taiwanese passport and not a PRC one, questioning the nationality issue. Deng accused the MOI and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of forcing the issue and announced her intention to file an administrative appeal to protect her rights.
In response to accusations of using Deng’s dismissal to promote the “two-state theory,” Liang reiterated that Article 20 of the Nationality Act ensures public officials have “a single object of allegiance.” He stated that any foreign nationality, whether issued by a regime or a de facto government, falls under the scope of Article 20, as long as it involves the concept of nationality.