Taiwan is currently governed by the Republic of China. The lack of a Taiwan delegation at the National People's Congress (NPC) led to the formal establishment of a 12-member Taiwan delegation during the 4th NPC session in 1975, responsible for proposing relevant policies within the province, similar to other provinces and municipalities. Subsequently, three years later, at the 5th NPC session, a resolution was passed to temporarily elect 13 NPC deputies from Taiwan to attend the sessions, with the remaining seats allocated proportionally to population to be reserved for future unification.[1]
The election of Taiwan delegates for Taiwan Province is done in accordance with the Decision (from time to time made) of the relevant Session of relevant National People's Congress of the PRC on the number of deputies to the National People's Congress and the election of the deputies.[2][non-primary source needed] For example, in 2002 that Decision was as follows:[2][non-primary source needed]
"For the time being, 13 deputies representing Taiwan Province shall be elected from among people of Taiwan origin in the other provinces, the autonomous regions, and the municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army."
Having regard to the relevant Decision, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopts a "Plan for the Consultative Election of Deputies of Taiwan Province to the National People's Congress". The Plan typically provides that "the deputies will be elected in Beijing through consultation from among representatives sent by Taiwan compatriots in these provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government and in the Chinese People's Liberation Army."[2][non-primary source needed]
In the case of the 2002 election, the Standing Committee noted that there were more than 36,000 "Taiwan compatriots" in the 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government and the central Party, government and army institutions. It was decided that 122 representatives would participate in the conference for election through consultation. The number of representatives was allocated on the basis of the geographic distribution of Taiwan compatriots on the mainland and the standing committees of the people's congresses of the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government were responsible for making arrangements for the election of the representatives through consultation. The Standing Committee's Plan also provided that the election should be "conducted in a democratic manner".[2][non-primary source needed]
According to the Consultative Election Plan for Representatives of Taiwan Province to the 12th National People's Congress, from among the approximately 33,000 Taiwanese people scattered throughout mainland China at the time, around 120 representatives were coordinated by province to participate in a week-long consultative election conference in Beijing. From these representatives, the final 13 National People's Congress deputies were elected, and the remainder became members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Most of these 120-plus members had parents born in Taiwan; later, this was relaxed to include those with one parent born in Taiwan. A smaller number were Taiwanese who had settled in mainland China and obtained mainland residency. Taiwanese residing in mainland China and holding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan resident permits are considered citizens of the Republic of China (ROC), referred to as people of the Taiwan region by the ROC. These individuals primarily include Taiwanese businesspeople, employees, and students. In theory, all Taiwanese residents can run for office, but according to Taiwan's Cross-Strait Act, "People, legal persons, groups or other organizations in the Taiwan area shall not hold positions or be members of any party, military, administrative or political organs (organizations) or groups in the Mainland Area that are prohibited by the Mainland Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan in consultation with the relevant competent authorities", meaning that if participants return to Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, they may be transferred to the Taiwanese government for prosecution.[1]
Most of the new generation of Taiwanese delegates to the National People's Congress are no longer born in Taiwan, but their ancestral home is Taiwan. In 2008, only Chen Yunying, the wife of economist Justin Yifu Lin, was born in Taiwan among the 13 delegates to the National People's Congress. The Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress stipulated that "Taiwanese compatriots who invest in the mainland and are in the mainland during the election of county and township people's congress representatives can participate in the election in their current place of work." In 2002, a Taiwanese businessman named Zeng Yushu was elected as a representative to the People 's Congress of Yinzhou District, Ningbo City.[1] In 2008, Lin Zhongguang, a Taiwanese businessman in Xiamen, was nominated as a candidate for the People's Congress of Siming District, but he was not elected. To date, no National People's Congress representative has been elected as a Taiwanese compatriot while retaining a complete Republic of China citizenship.[3]
The Mainland Affairs Council of Taiwan believes that since the People's Republic of China does not actually control Taiwan, most of the representatives are only registered residents of Taiwan and are not elected by the people of Taiwan, so they cannot represent the public opinion of Taiwan.[4]
Election
The NPC has included a Taiwan delegation since the 4th NPC in 1975. Delegations from Taiwan are chosen by "consultative election meetings" composed of 120 "compatriots of Taiwanese ancestry" hailing from various provinces in China, the central government and party agencies, and the military. Since the 6th NPC, Taiwan has been given 6 deputies at the NPC.[5]
Wang Biyun (female), Tian Fuda, Feng Yanhuo, Li Li (female), Li Chen, Zhang Guizhu (female), Chen Musen, Chen Yisong, Lin Liyun (female), Lin Deshi, Zhong Weiwang, Cai Zimin
Tian Fuda, Feng Yanhuo, Jiang Shuisheng, Li Chen, Wu Guozhen, Chen Musen, Chen Yisong, Lin Liyun, Lin Liangcai, Lin Minmin, Lin Deshi, Zhong Bingsong, Cai Zimin
Lu Guosong, Tian Fuda (Gaoshan ethnic group ), Liu Caipin, Jiang Shuisheng, Li Zhimin, Li Chen, Wu Guozhen, Qiu Baoyun, Chen Musen, Fan Zengsheng, Lin Liyun, Guo Pingtan, Cai Zimin
Tian Fuda, Liu Caipin, Jiang Shuisheng, Li Chen, Yang Yuhui, Wu Guozhen, Zhang Qia, Lu Yizhong, Chen Guizhou, Fan Zengsheng, Lin Liyun, Huang Shunxing, Cai Zimin
Wang Ansheng, Tian Fuda (Gaoshan ethnic group), Liu Caipin, Jiang Shuisheng, Li Chen, Yang Yuhui, Wu Guozhen, Zhang Kehui, Chen Guizhou, Fan Zengsheng, Lin Liyun, Hong Tao, Cai Zimin
Liu Yiming, Yang Guoqing, Zhang Yongjun, Zhang Xidong, Chen Guizhou, Chen Weiwen, Fan Zengsheng, Hu Yafang (Gaoshan ethnic group), Hong Tao, Liang Yanjun, Cai Shengding, Wei Lihui
Wang Qiongying (female), Liu Qi, Yang Guoqing, He Daxin, Zhang Yongjun, Chen Yunying (female), Chen Jiande, Chen Weiwen, Fan Zengsheng, Hu Yafang (female, Gaoshan ethnic group), Hu Youqing, Zhan Gaoyue, Wei Lihui (female).
Li Xingkui, Zou Zhenqiu, Chen Yunying, Chen Yongdong, Chen Guijing, Lin Qing, Zhou Qi, Zheng Jianmin, Tao Jun, Zeng Liqun, Cai Peihui, Liao Zhihao, Yan Ke
123"一台商当选鄞州区人大代表"[A Taiwanese businessman was elected as a representative to the Yinzhou District People's Congress]. news.sina.com.cn (in Chinese). November 18, 2002. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
1234Plan for the Consultative Election of Deputies of Taiwan Province to the Tenth National People's Congress, 2002 (Government of the PRC website)
↑"中华人民共和国第十四届全国人民代表大会代表名单"[List of Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China]. People's Daily. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
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