Chinese national Legislator Chiu Chen-hsiu (right) [Photo courtesy of CNA, Taiwan]

A controversy surrounding a legislator with Chinese nationality is ongoing in Taiwan, which is facing military pressure from China.

According to Taiwanese media, including China Times and United Daily News, on the 17th, Minister of Interior Affairs (equivalent to Minister of Home Affairs) Hsu Kuo-yung attended the Legislative Yuan's Interior Committee meeting to report on the ministry's work the previous day. However, he refused to respond to a legislative inquiry from Legislator Chiu Chen-hsiu of the Taiwan People's Party, who holds Chinese nationality.

Chiu attempted to call Minister Hsu to the podium three times to ask questions, but neither Minister Hsu nor other high-ranking officials from the Ministry of the Interior who were present responded and remained seated.

In response, Chiu demanded a recess in protest, but ultimately did not receive an answer from Minister Hsu, with the support of convenor Li Po-yi, a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which leans towards being pro-US and pro-independence.

Before attending the Legislative Yuan meeting, Minister Hsu stated, "I am the Minister of the Interior of the Republic of China. As a government official, complying with the law is the most basic principle," and added that there are currently questionable aspects regarding Legislator Chiu's status.

During his responses to related inquiries from other committee members, Minister Hsu referred to Chiu not as "legislator" but as "Ms. Chiu," stating, "The Ministry of the Interior has difficulty processing inquiries or requests for information from Ms. Chiu Chen-hsiu."

Chiu, who was denied an answer, expressed her dissatisfaction to Minister Hsu and other Ministry of the Interior officials, saying, "Please remember that you are the Minister of the Interior of the Republic of China (Taiwan), not the Minister of the Interior of the Democratic Progressive Party." She added, "I am a legislator of the Republic of China. From now on, I will refer to you as 'Ms. Hsu Kuo-yung.'"

Chiu, who took office in February, is the first legislator with Chinese nationality to be sworn into the Taiwan Legislative Yuan. She is married to a Taiwanese man. She explained that shortly after taking office, she attempted to renounce her Chinese nationality, but Chinese authorities refused to accept her application, stating that Taiwan is not a foreign country.

In response, Premier (equivalent to Prime Minister) Cho Jung-tai stated at a meeting of the Executive Yuan in late February that all ministries should not provide any documents or information, not just classified materials, until the eligibility of Legislator Chiu, who holds Chinese nationality, is confirmed.

Sources interpreted Premier Cho's remarks as an attempt to block the possibility of intelligence gathering under the guise of Legislator Chiu's legislative activities.