Kuomintang president who pursued rapprochement with the mainland and met Xi Jinping in 2015
Born in British Hong Kong in 1950 into a waishengren Kuomintang family with roots in Hunan, he moved to Taipei in 1952. He joined the Kuomintang in 1968, graduated in law from National Taiwan University and took a doctorate in law at Harvard. Back in Taiwan he began his political career as English interpreter to President Chiang Ching-kuo, and as justice minister he led anti-corruption and anti-drug campaigns. He defeated the incumbent Chen Shui-bian to become mayor of Taipei in 1998, and chaired the Kuomintang in 2005–2007 and 2009–2014. As president from 2008 to 2016 he drew Taiwan closer to the mainland, signing the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement in 2010, while his second term saw the Sunflower Movement and the 2014 local-election defeat. In 2015 he met Xi Jinping in Singapore, the first meeting of the leaders of the two sides since the civil war.
Also known as: Ma Yingjiu
Activities and affiliations
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1968–
Political and party leadership
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1993–1996
Republic of China state institutionsMinister of Justice
Law and justice -
1998–2006
Republic of China state institutionsMayor of Taipei
Government and administration -
2005–2007
KuomintangChairman of the Kuomintang
Political and party leadership -
2008–2016
Republic of China state institutionsPresident of the Republic of ChinaHeads of state, government and party of ChinaMain
Political and party leadership -
2009–2014
KuomintangChairman of the Kuomintang
Political and party leadership
Career Timeline
- 1968.06Joined the Kuomintang
- 1972.10–1974.08Reserve officer in the ROC Navy
- 1981Doctorate in law at Harvard; English interpreter to President Chiang Ching-kuo
- 1988Chairman of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission
- 1993–1996Minister of Justice
- 1998.12–2006.12Mayor of Taipei
- 2005–2007Chairman of the Kuomintang
- 2008.05.20–2016.05.20President of the Republic of China
- 2009–2014Chairman of the Kuomintang
- 2010Signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement
- 2015.11.07Met Xi Jinping in Singapore