Kaohsiung Incident defence lawyer who became the first DPP premier and led two cabinets
Born in 1938 to a Presbyterian family in Chiayi under Japanese rule, he graduated top of his law class at National Taiwan University and practised in Kaohsiung. He joined the KMT in 1970 but was expelled in 1973 for running for the Taipei City Council, and entered politics defending the Kaohsiung Incident defendants in 1980. He sat in the Legislative Yuan from 1983 to 2000 and was one of the ten-member group that founded the Democratic Progressive Party in 1986. After running Chen Shui-bian’s 2000 campaign he became the first DPP premier that October; his halting of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant set off a fierce clash with the legislature. Later DPP secretary-general and chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation, he was premier again in 2007–2008. He devoted his retirement to prison volunteer work and died in 2025.
Also known as: Zhang Junxiong
Activities and affiliations
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1970–1973
Political and party leadership
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1983–2000
Republic of China state institutionsMember of the Legislative Yuan
Legislature and state representation -
1986–2025
Political and party leadership
- Secretary-General of the Democratic Progressive Party2002–2004
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2000
Republic of China state institutionsSecretary-General to the President; Vice Premier
Government and administration -
2000–2002
Republic of China state institutionsPresident of the Executive YuanHeads of state, government and party of ChinaMain
Political and party leadership -
2007–2008
Republic of China state institutionsPresident of the Executive YuanHeads of state, government and party of China
Political and party leadership
Career Timeline
- 1960Graduated in law from National Taiwan University; passed the bar examination first
- 1962Began practising law in Kaohsiung
- 1970–1973Member of the Kuomintang
- 1980Defence counsel in the Kaohsiung Incident trials
- 1983–2000Member of the Legislative Yuan
- 1986Founding member of the Democratic Progressive Party
- 2000Secretary-General to the President; Vice Premier
- 2000.10.06–2002.02.01President of the Executive Yuan
- 2002–2004Secretary-General of the Democratic Progressive Party
- 2005–2007Chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation
- 2007.05.21–2008.05.20President of the Executive Yuan