To Prevent Recurrence of Li Chen-hsiu Controversy, MAC Clarifies Cross-Strait Act Household Registration Provisions
Following the controversy surrounding former TPP legislator Li Chen-hsiu, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has clarified Article 21 of the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area." The new interpretation stipulates that individuals cannot register as public office candidates until 10 years have passed since they completed submitting proof of mainland Chinese household deregistration to the competent authority.
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- 📰 Published: April 25, 2026 at 19:42
- 🔍 Collected: April 25, 2026 at 20:01 (19 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 21:35 (1h 33m after Collected)
Central News Agency (Taipei, April 25, reporter Liao Wen-chi) — The former Taiwan People's Party legislator and mainland spouse Li Chen-hsiu previously sparked controversy over her household registration. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) recently clarified Article 21 of the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" regarding the 10-year household registration requirement in Taiwan. It clearly stipulates that individuals cannot register as public office candidates until 10 years have passed since they completed submitting proof of mainland Chinese household deregistration to the competent authority.
Article 21 of the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" stipulates that mainland Chinese people must have resided in Taiwan for 10 years to register as public office candidates, serve as personnel in public education or public enterprise agencies (institutions), or organize political parties; they must have resided for 20 years to serve as intelligence agency personnel, or as volunteer officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers in national defense agencies; compulsory military officers and non-commissioned officers; civilian, teaching, and national army hired personnel.
According to the Executive Yuan Gazette on the 16th, the MAC clarified that the provision in Article 21 of the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area," which states "having household registration in the Taiwan area for 10 years," should mean that mainland Chinese people, after being permitted to settle and register their household in Taiwan and completing the submission of proof of mainland Chinese household deregistration to the competent authority according to regulations, must wait 10 years from the date of completing said submission. "The calculation starting point should be the date the party concerned completes submitting the proof of deregistration of original household to the competent authority."
The MAC pointed out that considering Article 17, Paragraph 5, Subparagraph 3 of the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" clearly stipulates that long-term residents applying for settlement in Taiwan should "submit proof of deregistration of original household," and the regulations for mainland Chinese people applying for dependent residence, long-term residence, or settlement in Taiwan state that if they fail to submit proof of deregistration of original household, their settlement permit will be revoked. Both provisions clearly define the change of status for the parties concerned.
The MAC stated that before submitting proof of deregistration of original household to the competent authority, individuals still hold mainland Chinese status and cannot be interpreted as having completed the cross-strait status conversion. During the transitional period of status conversion, they legally cannot claim to possess complete and stable Taiwanese citizenship and enjoy related rights.
Regarding the controversy over Li Chen-hsiu's household deregistration, the MAC stated in February that Li Chen-hsiu only submitted proof of mainland Chinese household deregistration to the Immigration Agency in March 2025. She had not submitted any proof to the competent authority before that, thus she did not meet the qualification requirements for election as a non-constituency legislator under the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" when she was nominated by the Taiwan People's Party as a non-constituency legislator at the end of 2023.
Li Chen-hsiu, at the time, produced documents to prove that her household registration in Hengnan County, Hunan Province, mainland China, had been deregistered after she married and moved to Taiwan on April 26, 1993.
Li Chen-hsiu, embroiled in controversies over her nationality and legislator qualifications, also mentioned in a live broadcast that Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an received NT$7 million from Taiwan People's Party founder Ko Wen-je. On the 13th, she was expelled from the Taiwan People's Party, losing her non-constituency legislator qualification. (Edited by Yang Sheng-ru) 1150425
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Article 21 of the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" stipulates that mainland Chinese people must have resided in Taiwan for 10 years to register as public office candidates, serve as personnel in public education or public enterprise agencies (institutions), or organize political parties; they must have resided for 20 years to serve as intelligence agency personnel, or as volunteer officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers in national defense agencies; compulsory military officers and non-commissioned officers; civilian, teaching, and national army hired personnel.
According to the Executive Yuan Gazette on the 16th, the MAC clarified that the provision in Article 21 of the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area," which states "having household registration in the Taiwan area for 10 years," should mean that mainland Chinese people, after being permitted to settle and register their household in Taiwan and completing the submission of proof of mainland Chinese household deregistration to the competent authority according to regulations, must wait 10 years from the date of completing said submission. "The calculation starting point should be the date the party concerned completes submitting the proof of deregistration of original household to the competent authority."
The MAC pointed out that considering Article 17, Paragraph 5, Subparagraph 3 of the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" clearly stipulates that long-term residents applying for settlement in Taiwan should "submit proof of deregistration of original household," and the regulations for mainland Chinese people applying for dependent residence, long-term residence, or settlement in Taiwan state that if they fail to submit proof of deregistration of original household, their settlement permit will be revoked. Both provisions clearly define the change of status for the parties concerned.
The MAC stated that before submitting proof of deregistration of original household to the competent authority, individuals still hold mainland Chinese status and cannot be interpreted as having completed the cross-strait status conversion. During the transitional period of status conversion, they legally cannot claim to possess complete and stable Taiwanese citizenship and enjoy related rights.
Regarding the controversy over Li Chen-hsiu's household deregistration, the MAC stated in February that Li Chen-hsiu only submitted proof of mainland Chinese household deregistration to the Immigration Agency in March 2025. She had not submitted any proof to the competent authority before that, thus she did not meet the qualification requirements for election as a non-constituency legislator under the "Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" when she was nominated by the Taiwan People's Party as a non-constituency legislator at the end of 2023.
Li Chen-hsiu, at the time, produced documents to prove that her household registration in Hengnan County, Hunan Province, mainland China, had been deregistered after she married and moved to Taiwan on April 26, 1993.
Li Chen-hsiu, embroiled in controversies over her nationality and legislator qualifications, also mentioned in a live broadcast that Hsinchu Mayor Kao Hung-an received NT$7 million from Taiwan People's Party founder Ko Wen-je. On the 13th, she was expelled from the Taiwan People's Party, losing her non-constituency legislator qualification. (Edited by Yang Sheng-ru) 1150425
Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news in real time.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.