Are Taiwan and China Different Countries?
That's the political conundrum faced by Taiwan/PRC dual citizens who want to be elected to or work in Taiwan's government. Two such "mainland spouses" in this predicament sit down with TaiwanPlus to discuss their political limbo and what they view as discrimination against them by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
There are more than 384,000 citizens from the People's Republic of China (PRC) who are married to Taiwanese citizens. Many have become naturalized citizens in Taiwan and even run for public office. Two women in this category, former Nantou County Councilor from the Kuomintang (KMT) Shi Xueyan and party-list candidate for the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Li Zhenxiu, are now facing a new ruling from the interior ministry that they must renounce their PRC citizenship in order to serve. The ruling conflicts with other laws, such as the Cross-Strait Act, which do not require such renunciations for those in the "Mainland Area."
