Hsinchu election board bars China-born Li Chen-hsiu from mayoral race

The Hsinchu County Election Commission announced Wednesday that Li Chen-hsiu cannot stand for mayor of Zhubei because she does not meet the ten-year Taiwanese household registration requirement for former Chinese citizens seeking office, as set out in Article 21 of the Cross-Strait Act. Li, who became a naturalized ROC citizen in 1999, failed to provide proof to the National Immigration Agency that she had relinquished her PRC household registration until March 2025, a deadline established by the Mainland Affairs Council in early 2025.

The commission based its ruling on an interpretation issued by the MAC on April 16, 2026, which treats the submission date as the effective renunciation date. Li, who previously served as a legislator under the Taiwan People's Party, was expelled from the party in April after controversial statements. She says the decision infringes on her constitutional right to run for office and will seek legal remedies. The case highlights the strict enforcement of cross-strait residency rules for naturalized spouses of Chinese origin.