00:00Until last Friday, Deng Wanhua was the village warden of Xuetian in eastern Taiwan.
00:05But she's one of five local officials removed or set for removal
00:09after an audit found they hold Chinese citizenship.
00:12Deng is angry and plans to appeal.
00:14She's been in Taiwan nearly 30 years, setting down roots,
00:18and lately caring for her terminally ill Taiwanese husband.
00:21And she says there's no way to renounce her Chinese nationality, even if she tried.
00:25China claims Taiwan, and doesn't recognize a Taiwanese citizenship.
00:41It's a frustration a fellow China-born local official in Taipei shares.
00:55But the Interior Ministry says it's a matter of ensuring loyalty to the country
01:01and preventing conflicts of interest.
01:03Taiwan Plus reached out to the Interior Ministry for comment, but did not receive a reply.
01:08Most of the cities where these officials have posts are still coming up with an action plan.
01:12But another local official involved, this one from Taoyuan,
01:35says they've all earned their positions legitimately.
01:38And so, as local governments decide what to do,
01:51a controversy getting at the heart of citizenship
01:53and what it means to be Taiwanese continues to unfold.
01:57Hank Xu and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.
Comments