Taiwanese Sailor Yang Retains Citizenship Despite Chinese ID

A Taiwanese navy sailor, known by the surname Yang, will keep his Taiwanese citizenship even though he was registered for a Chinese ID card by his mother. Yang serves in the navy's 168th Fleet, and his mother, a Chinese national, applied for his Chinese ID a decade ago without his consent. Despite holding the Chinese ID, Yang never sought Chinese citizenship.

On Wednesday, Yang asked Chinese authorities to cancel his household registration in China. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) confirmed that he would not need to travel to China for this process, as military personnel are restricted from visiting China for security reasons. After reviewing his case, the MAC decided that Yang had taken enough steps to renounce his Chinese citizenship, allowing him to keep his Taiwanese nationality under Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.

Normally, Taiwanese citizens who obtain a Chinese household registration lose their Taiwanese nationality and are barred from voting and military roles. The MAC warned that those who deliberately acquire Chinese citizenship will face legal consequences. The MAC and military authorities are supporting Yang, and the Ministry of National Defence will oversee his reassignment.

MAC Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh noted that Yang's case is not unique, as many Taiwanese businesspeople in China registered their children as Chinese citizens. Between 2014 and 2023, 676 Taiwanese citizens lost their nationality for having Chinese IDs. Liang urged Beijing to respect existing regulations and avoid using citizenship policies to push cross-strait integration.