Hualien: A village chief in eastern Taiwan has been dismissed over her People’s Republic of China (PRC) nationality status, becoming the first local official in the country to be removed from office for that reason. Teng Wan-hua, who served as chief of Xuetian Village in Hualien County’s Fuli Township, was removed from her post by the township office on Friday.
According to Focus Taiwan, Teng was one of five village or borough chiefs who were found in January to hold PRC nationality, a status that contravenes the Nationality Act, as stated by Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior (MOI). Teng has publicly claimed that she holds a Taiwanese passport and not a PRC one, questioning the basis for her dismissal. “I do not have PRC nationality. So what nationality issue is there?” Teng said. She further accused the Ministry of the Interior and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of forcing the decision.
Teng expressed her intention to file an administrative appeal to protect her rights, claiming her election was legal. Fuli Township Mayor Chiang Tung-cheng revealed that the MOI began sending letters in October 2024, instructing the township to handle the case according to the Nationality Act, which prohibits those holding foreign nationality from holding government office in Taiwan. Despite this, the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area does not recognize Taiwan and China as two separate countries, complicating the issue of renouncing PRC nationality.
Chiang stated that the township proceeded with the dismissal to ensure transparency and allow the court system to address the matter. He criticized the MOI for what he described as a violation of Teng’s rights to identity, life, and property. The issue has been referred to the Control Yuan, Taiwan’s highest government supervisory body.
Teng, originally from Guangyuan City in Sichuan Province, China, moved to Taiwan through marriage in 1997 and obtained her Taiwanese national ID card 17 years ago. She was first elected village chief in 2022.