Taiwan Revokes Citizenship Over Chinese IDs

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council has revoked the citizenship of three individuals, including taekwondo athlete Lee Tung-hsien, due to their possession of Chinese identification. This action follows claims of Taiwan's citizens possessing Chinese IDs, a violation of the Cross-Strait Act, which prohibits dual Chinese residency.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced the revocation of citizenship for three individuals, including renowned taekwondo athlete Lee Tung-hsien, upon discovering their possession of Chinese identification. The Central News Agency (CNA) reported the development on Thursday, citing a statement by MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh.

According to Liang, the Taiwanese citizenship of Lee Tung-hsien, Su Shih-en, and another individual has been annulled after verification by the concerned authorities. The reason for this drastic measure, as Liang detailed, lies in their breach of the Cross-Strait Act, which governs the delicate relationship between Taiwanese residents and the Chinese mainland, strictly forbidding Taiwanese nationals from holding a Chinese passport or registering as a Chinese household.

In light of these revelations, citizens like Lee, who was notably seen as a pro-China figure after raising the Chinese flag at a South Korean sports event, will have to navigate their status as mainland Chinese residents should they wish to visit Taiwan in the future. This outcomes were prompted by recent reports investigating claims of over 100,000 Taiwanese nationals allegedly holding Chinese IDs.

(With inputs from agencies.)