Taiwan’s Nationalist party, KMT which holds an opposition-majority in the island’s parliament has introduced a draft amendment to the Nationality Act spurring fresh controversy and concern about the island’s security.
Sixteen lawmakers from Kuomintang (KMT), including legislator Fu Kun-chi, recently introduced an amendment to Article 20 of the Nationality Act in the Legislative Yuan. The proposal would allow Chinese citizens to participate in Taiwan’s public elections without first renouncing their Chinese nationality, potentially enabling them to run for positions such as legislator or even president, reported the Taipei Times.
KMT proposes amendment allowing Chinese nationals to run for office without renouncing Chinese citizenship
The proposed amendment to Article 20 of the Nationality Act was put forward by Fu Kun-chi and co-sponsored by KMT legislators including Su Ching-chuan, Huang Jen, Lo Chih-chiang, Chen Yu-jen, Weng Hsiao-ling, Hsu Yu-chen, Lin Pei-hsiang, Ko Ju-chun, and Chen Yeong-kang.
The key provision would permit Chinese nationals who have obtained household registration in Taiwan to participate in public elections even if they have not completed the process of renouncing their Chinese citizenship. In theory, this could allow them to seek major elected offices, including seats in the legislature and the presidency.
In fact, this is not the first time the KMT has sought to amend the Nationality Act. On November 26 last year, Fu Kun-chi and 15 other KMT lawmakers proposed an amendment to Article 1 of the Act, adding the following provision:
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“The application of this Act to people from the Mainland Area shall be governed by Article 11 of the Additional Articles of the Constitution and the special provisions of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. For Mainland Area residents who legally obtain household registration in the Taiwan Area, eligibility to run for or hold public office shall be governed by the aforementioned special laws, and the requirement under Article 20 of this Act to renounce foreign nationality shall not apply.”
According to a Taipei Times report, if the amendment is passed, Chinese nationals would be able to hold any public office in Taiwan without renouncing their Chinese citizenship, while other foreign nationals who naturalize as Taiwanese citizens would still be required to relinquish their original nationality. This would effectively create a special privilege whereby only Chinese nationals could serve in Taiwanese public office without giving up their original citizenship.
Official: Proposal undermines the principle of sole allegiance
According to a report by Liberty Times, a government official familiar with immigration issues said that Taiwan’s Nationality Act applies equally to all citizens and is intended to demonstrate loyalty to the state. The requirement is not aimed specifically at people from China; rather, anyone seeking public office must renounce any nationality other than that of the Republic of China (Taiwan), as a matter of public-service obligation and allegiance.
The official noted that some Chinese spouses are unable to renounce their Chinese nationality due to policies of the Chinese government, a matter beyond the control of Taiwan’s authorities. Altering the Nationality Act on that basis, the official argued, would distort the nature of the issue and create an exception solely for spouses from mainland China, which would be unfair to other Taiwanese citizens.
The official further argued that everyone living in Taiwan should be subject to the same Nationality Act. Those who wish to settle in Taiwan and hold public office should be required to relinquish foreign citizenship. The KMT proposal, he said, would exempt Chinese spouses from that obligation and blur the principle of exclusive loyalty to the Republic of China.
“This would harm the Republic of China while benefiting the People’s Republic of China,” the official told the Taiwanese media.
He warned that the amendment could pose a significant threat to Taiwan’s survival and development, adding that the strong criticism circulating online reflects concerns that any Chinese national who obtains household registration in Taiwan could eventually become eligible to run in various elections.
The official emphasized that the Nationality Act was not designed specifically to target Chinese nationals but applies equally to all citizens. However, the proposed amendment would remove restrictions on Chinese spouses, allowing them to retain Chinese nationality while simultaneously holding public office in Taiwan, a move he said would generate serious controversy. He urged the KMT to carefully reconsider the proposal.
Wang Ting-yu: ‘Paving the way for the CCP to annex Taiwan’
Legislator Wang Ting-yu sharply criticized the KMT proposal in a Facebook post on June 5, arguing that the amendment would allow Chinese nationals to hold any public office in Taiwan, including running for president.
He condemned the proposal, saying: “What kind of political party repeatedly pushes legal amendments that benefit China while harming Taiwan? This is no longer a Trojan Horse-style conspiracy; it is an open strategy to pave the way for the Chinese Communist Party’s annexation of Taiwan.”
Wang further warned that, for now, Taiwan’s executive branch could still refuse to countersign or promulgate such legislation in accordance with constitutional procedures. However, he cautioned: “If Taiwan is to be protected through democratic means, there may be only two opportunities left—2026 and 2028.”
Wang Yi-chuan: ‘Taiwanese citizens must wait at least 20 years to qualify’
According to a report by Liberty Times, legislator Wang Yi-chuan recently discussed the issue on the political talk show After Work, Mirror Talks.
Wang argued that Taiwanese citizens must spend years growing up within Taiwan’s democratic system before gaining political rights. He noted that Taiwanese citizens must be at least 20 years old to vote and 23 years old to run for public office (as stated in the report), meaning they have undergone years of democratic education and civic experience before becoming eligible to participate in politics.
Questioning the proposed amendment, Wang asked: “Why should people who previously lived in a society with no democratic tradition be allowed to come here and immediately vote or run for public office?”
He argued that eligibility for political participation should reflect a meaningful period of exposure to and engagement with Taiwan’s democratic institutions and values.
Wang Yi-chuan: Applicants should first renounce PRC nationality
Legislator Wang Yi-chuan also revealed that he has instructed his staff to draft a bill requiring anyone applying for household registration (and nationality) in the Republic of China (Taiwan) to first provide proof that they have renounced their citizenship of the People’s Republic of China.
However, Wang expressed little optimism about its prospects, saying the proposal would almost certainly be blocked by the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which currently hold a majority in the legislature.
Attorney Huang Di-ying wrote on Facebook on June 8 that, under the proposed amendment, Chinese nationals could potentially participate in elections for president, legislator, city councilor, and other public offices without giving up their original nationality, raising important questions about national security and the integrity of Taiwan’s democratic system.
Huang argued that KMT lawmakers’ attempt to exempt Chinese nationals from existing legal requirements actually demonstrates that current regulations barring public officials from holding dual nationality already apply to Chinese nationals. Otherwise, he said, there would be no need to amend the law specifically to exclude them from those restrictions.
He added: “In democratic countries governed by the rule of law, nationality laws are generally applied uniformly. States do not grant political participation privileges based on a particular nationality.”
Huang further noted that Taiwan has long faced military threats and United-Front influence operations from China, making it especially important to exercise caution when designing rules governing eligibility for public office and obligations of national loyalty.
He also argued that even if the KMT-TPP camp were to force the legislation through a third reading in the future, the Executive Yuan would still retain the legal authority to decide whether to countersign the bill, citing the need to safeguard Taiwan’s liberal democratic constitutional order and national security.
Chou Yu-kou: ‘Is this really Taiwan’s most urgent problem?’
Veteran media commentator Chou Yu-kou wrote on Facebook on June 7 that Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels continue operating around the Taiwan Strait, while Beijing’s influence and united-front efforts targeting Taiwan have never ceased.
She argued that at a time when democratic countries around the world are becoming more vigilant and taking steps to counter expanding Chinese influence, Fu Kun-chi and 15 other KMT lawmakers have instead proposed amendments to the Nationality Act that would weaken existing safeguards governing the participation of Chinese nationals in Taiwan’s public offices.
According to Chou: “The issues the public is truly concerned about are national security, industrial development, economic competitiveness, and how Taiwan should respond to growing pressure from China—not relaxing political participation requirements for Chinese nationals.”
She questioned the necessity of the proposed amendment, arguing that it addresses no obvious urgent public need yet has become a legislative priority for the KMT, a situation she described as difficult to understand.
Chou Yu-kou: This is a national security issue
Chou Yu-kou stressed that the debate is not about discrimination against any particular group or excluding anyone from society, but rather about national security.
She argued that the greater concern is not merely whether the bill ultimately passes, but that, at a time when pressure from the Chinese Communist Party on Taiwan continues to intensify, some politicians are seeking to further weaken existing institutional safeguards.
Chou noted that Taiwan’s democracy was hard-won. Freedom, elections, human rights, and sovereignty did not emerge overnight but were achieved through decades of effort and sacrifice.
“Some lines of defense cannot be retreated from, and some bottom lines cannot be abandoned.”
She urged Taiwan’s political leaders to focus on protecting the country’s institutions and democratic security, rather than, in her words, “opening more institutional doors for China.”
Kuma Academy warns of a potential loophole
The civilian defense organization Kuma Academy also expressed concern over the proposal in a social media post on June 5.
According to Kuma Academy, if the amendment were adopted, Chinese nationals who obtain Taiwanese identification cards and later seek to run for public office or become civil servants would be governed by the provisions of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area rather than the Nationality Act.
The organization emphasized that, under this interpretation, Chinese nationals would no longer be required to renounce their original nationality.
Kuma Academy argued that one of Beijing’s key legal and political narratives toward Taiwan is the claim that Taiwan is part of China and that cross-strait issues are therefore purely domestic matters. It warned that if Taiwan’s laws explicitly exempt Chinese nationals from nationality-renunciation requirements applied to other foreigners, Beijing could use that as propaganda evidence to argue that Taiwan itself does not regard Chinese nationals as foreigners and does not view cross-strait relations as relations between separate states.
The organization said it was revisiting the issue because Fu Kun-chi’s proposal had recently circulated widely again on social media and urged the public to pay attention to and share information about the bill.
Public reactions online
Taiwanese netizens responding to the proposal expressed a range of concerns. Comments included:
“If you want to be Taiwanese, then give up Chinese citizenship. You can’t have it both ways.”
“How can someone enjoy Taiwan’s public benefits while maintaining political allegiance elsewhere?”
“Giving them residency status is one thing, but voting rights and eligibility for office should be another.”
“Even native-born Taiwanese have to wait until adulthood before they can vote or run for office. Why should people from a country viewed as a political adversary receive special privileges?”
Others suggested allowing long-term residency or naturalization while restricting voting or candidacy rights, arguing that political participation should be tied to demonstrated commitment and loyalty to Taiwan.
These comments reflect opinions expressed by individual social media users and do not necessarily represent broader public opinion.
