Vol. 11, No. 1 (2015), 1– 33
Abstract
This article examines the politics of dual citizenship in Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). While the immigrants in Taiwan are proposing to expand the privileged right of dual citizenship to non-Republic of China (ROC) nationals, the Chinese emigrants are demanding the right to retain their Chinese citizenship on their acquisition of foreign citizenship. Despite the continuous lobbying, both governments are reluctant to liberalise their existing citizenship law. The liberal preposition which situates dual citizenship in a human rights framework is unacceptable to both states. This article suggests that the political cultures of Taiwan and China are incompatible with the liberalist approach of citizenship.
Author’s bio
Low Choo Chin is a lecturer in the History Section, School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang, Malaysia. She holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Arts (MA) from USM. Her research interests include comparative citizenship, migration policies and diaspora studies. Her recent publications include “Defending National Identity and National Interests: The Limits of Citizenship Transnationalism in Germany and China,” Journal of International Migration and Integration (2014) and “Taiwanese and German Citizenship Reforms: Integration of Immigrants Without Challenging the Status Quo, 1990–2000,” European Journal of East Asian Studies (2013). She is also interested in the politics of belongingness during the Malayan Emergency, particularly on the issues of citizenship and repatriation.
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