Taiwan’s government is tightening policies toward mainland spouses—citizens born in China who obtained Taiwanese nationality through marriage—as military tensions with China escalate. The community comprises approximately 369,000 people whose status has become increasingly precarious due to shifting regulations and security concerns.
Legislator Li Chen-hsiu, who was sworn in earlier this year as Taiwan’s only China-born lawmaker through marriage, became the public face of these tensions. She faced questions about her loyalty and citizenship documentation despite claiming to have held Taiwanese citizenship since 1999. Her party expelled her in April after the government toughened requirements for China-born legislators to meet, citing her failure to submit required paperwork regarding her nationality status.
The broader policy shift reflects heightened concerns about national security. Taiwan’s government deported three women last spring who had advocated for reunification with China, and immigration authorities issued notices to approximately 12,000 mainland spouses already holding Taiwanese citizenship, requiring them to provide proof of canceled household registrations in China or face citizenship revocation. Officials defend these measures as necessary for protecting Taiwan’s security as China increases military exercises near the island.
However, legal experts argue the government may be applying standards inconsistently. Immigration law professor Bruce Liao contends authorities are interpreting regulations “wrongly, or in a distorted way” and using mainland spouses as targets while avoiding confrontation with Beijing. Others, including scholars at Academia Sinica, defend the approach as a legitimate exercise of government authority to assess potential threats to national security and social stability.
The situation reflects deeper questions about loyalty and belonging. Mainland spouses face more restrictive policies than foreign spouses from other countries—including longer citizenship waiting periods and stricter government employment eligibility—which legal experts argue reveals underlying assumptions about their allegiance. Some spouses report being constantly questioned about their motivations and potential connections to Chinese intelligence, though researchers note this community would be unlikely targets for sensitive government information.
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