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111-731: Chen joined the Chen Shui-bian presidential administration in 2003 as leader of the Department of Health , serving through 2005. He later headed the National Science Council between 2006 and 2008. Chen then served as a vice president of Academia Sinica from 2011 to 2015. Later that year, Chen joined Tsai Ing-wen on the Democratic Progressive Party presidential ticket and served as Vice President of Taiwan from 2016 to 2020. Chen joined

222-763: A Knight of the Equestrian of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (2010) and a Knight of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great (2013). He served on the board of trustees of Fu Jen Catholic University . Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian ( Chinese : 陳水扁 ; born 12 October 1950) is a Taiwanese former politician and lawyer who served as the 5th president of the Republic of China ( Taiwan ) from 2000 to 2008. Chen

333-514: A campaign to draft a referendum law as well as a new constitution, a move which appealed to the fundamentalist wing of the DPP. By now, the New Tide faction had begun to favor pragmatic approaches to their pro-independence goals and dominated decision-making positions within the party. By contrast, grassroots support was divided largely between moderate and fundamentalist wings. Though Chen's plans for

444-518: A clear mandate and inheriting a bureaucracy largely loyal to the KMT, Chen tried to reach out to his opposition. He appointed the KMT conservative mainlander Tang Fei , a former general and the incumbent defense minister, as his first premier . Only about half of Chen's original cabinet were DPP members, as few DPP politicians had risen above the local level. Although a supporter of Taiwan independence , Chen moderated his stance during his campaign and pledged

555-536: A daycare. Chen obtained a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in public health from the National Taiwan University , and received his Sc.D in human genetics and epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University in 1977 and 1982, respectively. He began his medical career by researching hepatitis B, and helped raise awareness about vaccination for the disease in Taiwan. Chen further researched on

666-678: A formal state dinner, infuriating the Chinese officials. Chen made his way back after making a stopover at Jakarta . His request for a pitstop at Singapore was denied; authorities cited weather problems. On 28 February , 2006, Chen announced that the National Unification Council , which was set up in 1990 to create guidelines for unification with China if it adopted democracy, would "cease to function". He took care to use this phrase rather than "abolish" because he had promised during his 2000 campaign that he would not abolish

777-510: A half months after both had taken office. Chen appointed his political ally Chang Chun-hsiung as Tang's replacement. On 27 October, Chang announced that the government would halt construction. But less than an hour earlier, Chen had met with Lien Chan to reconcile differences . Lien had asked Chen to leave the matter for the Legislative Yuan to decide and Chen seemed receptive to the suggestion. When Chang's announcement came out, Lien

888-528: A member of the Tangwai movement. Chen won a seat in the Taipei City Council as a Tangwai candidate in 1981 and served until 1985. In 1984, he founded the pro-opposition Civil Servant Public Policy Research Association, which published a magazine called Neo-Formosa . On 12 January 1985, Chen was sentenced to a year in prison for libel as a result of his editorship of Neo-Formosa, following

999-507: A period of time by Chi Chia-wei a prominent gay rights activist in Taiwan. While he was in prison, his wife campaigned and was elected to the Legislative Yuan . Upon his release in 1987, Chen served as her chief counsel. In May 2022, the Transitional Justice Commission overturned Chen, Huang and Lee's libel charges. In 1989, Chen was elected to the Legislative Yuan and served as the executive director of

1110-623: A physician. The couple have a daughter, Chen Hsing-yu, who is a dentist; and a son, Chen Chih-chung, who, having received a law degree in Taiwan, gained a Master of Laws from the University of California, Berkeley in 2005. From 1976 to 1989, Chen was a partner in Formosa International Marine and Commercial Law, specializing in maritime insurance. He held the firm's portfolio for Evergreen Marine Corporation . Chen became involved in politics in 1980 when he defended

1221-507: A recount and for a nullification of the outcome while supporters held a week-long protest led by the pan-Blues front of the presidential office in Taipei. He also claimed that the shooting was staged by Chen to win sympathy votes. Throughout the election, Chen planned to hold a referendum in 2006 on a new constitution to be enacted upon the accession of the 12th-term president in May 2008. After

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1332-475: A referendum on a new constitution were scuttled by the legislature, he did manage to include a largely symbolic referendum on the PRC military threat to coincide with the 2004 presidential election . President Chen Shui-bian would be narrowly re-elected in 2004 after an assassination attempt the day before the election, and in the later legislative election , the pan-blue coalition opposition retained control of

1443-485: A referendum to create a new constitution that would formally separate Taiwan from any interpretation of China. This caused the government of the United States to follow the lead of Chen's political critics and issue a rare rebuke of Chen's actions. Chen was shot in the stomach while campaigning in the city of Tainan on Friday, 19 March 2004, the day before polls opened on Saturday. His vice-president Annette Lu

1554-571: A second term as vice president alongside Tsai. Chen received international attention for his role in leading Taiwan's response to the COVID-19 pandemic due to his unique position as both vice president and his epidemiologist background. Days before he stepped down from the vice presidency, Chen stated that he would return to the Academia Sinica as a research fellow and thus forgo the pension connected to his political office. On May 17, 2019,

1665-499: A series of scandals centered on his wife and son-in-law. Support from his own party had also dropped with a few prominent members, such as Shih Ming-teh , calling for his resignation in the Million Voices Against Corruption, President Chen Must Go campaign. On 24 May 2006, his son-in-law, Chao Chien-ming , was taken into custody by the Taipei police on charges of insider trading and embezzlement by

1776-624: A unified political unit and consisted of factions which carried over into the early DPP. At its founding the DPP consisted of three factions: the Kang group, a moderate faction led by Kang Ning-hsiang , New Tide faction , consisting of intellectuals and social activists led by Wu Nai-ren and Chiou I-jen , and the Progress Faction led by Lin Cheng-chieh , a waishengren opposed to independence. Moderates would later coalesce around

1887-425: Is a personal suggestion. Furthermore, it is widely believed in Taiwan that some of these gestures were essentially forced on him again by pressure from the United States and the PRC. The PRC has stated many times that it cares little about what Chen says, but will watch closely in the next few months to see what he does, a standard sentence that Communist China continues to quote. Three days before Chen's inauguration,

1998-452: Is more than the amount he is accused of embezzling, so there is no need for him to take that money. In addition, he said that if the charges against his wife were proven in a court of law just as they were charged, then he would at that time step down as President of the Republic of China. In defense of Chen, journalist Therese Shaheen of The Wall Street Journal Asia pointed out that controversy surrounding Chen can be in part attributed to

2109-539: The Tangwai movement , which formed in opposition to the Kuomintang 's one-party authoritarian rule under the " party-state " system during martial law . This movement culminated in the formation of the DPP as an alternative, but still illegal, party on 28 September 1986 by eighteen organizing members at Grand Hotel Taipei , with a total of 132 people joining the party in attendance. The new party members contested

2220-490: The 1986 election as "nonpartisan" candidates since competing parties would remain illegal until the following year. These early members of the party, like the tangwai , drew heavily from the ranks of family members and defense lawyers of political prisoners, as well as intellectuals and artists who had spent time abroad. These individuals were strongly committed to political change toward democracy and freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association. The tangwai were not

2331-511: The 2016 Taiwanese presidential election after media speculation earlier in the month. During the campaign, Chen became known by the nickname Brother Da-jen ( 大仁哥 ), after a character portrayed by Chen Bolin on the romantic drama In Time with You . Chen is the first Catholic vice presidential nominee in Taiwan. On 16 January 2016, Tsai and Chen won the presidential election in a landslide. Chen took up his post as Vice President on 20 May 2016. In March 2019, Chen announced that he would not seek

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2442-553: The China Steel Corporation , and Chinese Petroleum Corporation , would be renamed to bear the name "Taiwan." On 14 December 2004, following the failure of the Pan-Green coalition to gain a majority of seats in the 2004 ROC legislative election (as many had expected to occur), Chen resigned as chairman of the DPP. This dashed hopes that the stalemate that plagued Chen's first term would end. In 2005 Chen became

2553-405: The Democratic Progressive Party met together to discuss the unfavorable charges. The meeting ended when party leaders demanded Chen to explain the accusation within three days. There had long been rumblings inside the DPP that Chen has become their liability and should recall him before the presidential election. If Chen had resigned, he would have been the first Taiwanese president to step down and

2664-481: The Four Noes and One Without but did state that he reaffirmed the commitments made in his first inaugural. He defended his proposals to change the constitution, but asked for constitutional reform to be undertaken through existing procedures instead of calling for a referendum for an entirely new constitution which was proposed by former president Lee Teng-hui. This would require approval by a three-fourths majority of

2775-534: The Four Noes and One Without in his inaugural address—that as long as the People's Republic of China has no intention to use military force against Taiwan, he would not declare independence nor change the national symbols of the Republic of China. He also promised to be, "president of all the people" and resigned his chairmanship from the DPP. His approval rating reached around 70%. Chen's administration ran into many problems, and its policies were constantly blocked by

2886-624: The National Assembly which could authorize a referendum. This has two major implications. First, by going through existing constitutional amendment procedures, this has the symbolic effect of maintaining continuity with the existing constitution which was originally written in China. Second, this has the practical effect of requiring the Chen administration to get the consent of the opposition pan-Blue coalition to pass any amendments, and while

2997-587: The Number Four Nuclear Power Facility . This multibillion-dollar project in Gongliao District was already one-third completed and favored by the pro-business KMT as a means of avoiding an energy shortage. However, the environmentalist DPP strongly objected to the expansion of nuclear power. Premier Tang had threatened to resign if the project were canceled, and Chen accepted his resignation on 3 October 2000, only four and

3108-538: The One China Principle . In late 2004, in effort to maintain the balance of power in the region, Chen began eagerly pushing for a US$ 18 billion arms purchase from the United States, but the Pan-Blue Coalition repeatedly blocked the deal in the legislature. Criticism has been made of this, citing contradictory arguments used, such as that the weapons were not what Taiwan needed, or that

3219-461: The One-China policy , as required by the PRC for talks to begin. Such a pledge seemed unlikely for Chen since there remained strong opposition within his own party. Despite these symbolic gestures, Chen moved away from " no haste, be patient " policy and opened the three mini links . In late 2003, he signed a controversial referendum bill, which he had supported but was heavily watered down by

3330-477: The Pan-Blue Coalition . It has traditionally been associated with a strong advocacy of human rights , emerging against the authoritarian White Terror that was initiated by the KMT, as well as the promotion of Taiwanese nationalism and identity . Lai Ching-te is the current chairperson of the DPP from 2023, who also serves as the incumbent President and is the third member of the DPP to hold

3441-631: The SARS epidemic through quarantine and screening procedures, despite Taiwan's non-membership in the World Health Organization complicating the coordination of research efforts. His successor Hou Sheng-mao credited Chen with reforming the National Health Insurance program. Chen led the National Science Council from 2006 to 2008. On 16 November 2015, Chen was confirmed as the running mate for Tsai Ing-wen in

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3552-609: The Taiwan Affairs Office of the PRC issued what has become known as the May 17 Declaration . In that declaration, China accused Chen of continuing with a creep toward independence, having merely paid lip service to his commitments in his first term of office, and reiterated that there would be consequences if Chen did not halt policies toward Taiwan independence , but at the same time offered major concessions if Chen would accept

3663-482: The pan-Blue majority legislature. One concession that the legislature made was to include a provision for an emergency defensive referendum and during the legislative debates it was widely believed that this clause would only be invoked if Taiwan was under imminent threat of attack from China as has been so often threatened. Within a day of the passage of the referendum bill, Chen stated his intention to invoke this provision, citing PRC's over 450 missiles aimed directly at

3774-469: The pan-Blue coalition -controlled legislature. The stock market lost over half its value within a year and unemployment reached 4.5% in part because of the Asian stock market crash. While Chen's detractors blamed Chen's poor leadership for the economic crisis, the administration blamed the legislature for blocking its relief efforts. More troublesome for Chen was the political showdown over the construction of

3885-410: The 2000 presidential elections. Due to political complications, this promise was not fulfilled until late 2003. In an election similar to Taipei's in 1994, Chen won the 2000 presidential election on 18 March 2000, with 39% of the vote as a result of a split of factions within the Kuomintang , when James Soong ran for the presidency as an independent against the party nominee Lien Chan . Lacking

3996-485: The Chinese nation from achieving complete reunification " and "halt the process of national rejuvenation" due to the party's outspoken advocacy of the Taiwanese nationalism , its supportive attitude to Taiwanese enjoying the right to decide their own future , and its firm opposition to the notion of " One China ", including the alleged " 1992 Consensus " narratives by both the PRC and the KMT. The DPP's roots were in

4107-545: The Constitution and responsive to the majority opinion of the referendum. In the face of the tensions between the pro and con sides, the legislators still uphold the democratic spirit of accommodating diverse opinions and complete the legislative work of the bill smoothly". In December 2021, Chen applied to join the Democratic Progressive Party , and formally became a member in February 2022. In January 2023, he rejoined

4218-605: The DPP as a mechanism for coalition-building within the party; notably, future President Chen Shui-bian would form the Justice Alliance faction . The DPP won the presidency with the election of Chen Shui-bian in March 2000 with a plurality, due to Pan-Blue voters splitting their vote between the Kuomintang and independent candidate James Soong , ending 91 years of KMT rule in the Republic of China. Chen softened

4329-423: The DPP as a ruling party chooses to keep the status quo of Taiwan, instead of approaching de jure independence, despite being a pro- independence group in its party platform . The party considers that Taiwan is already a sovereign country under the name "Republic of China" and is never subordinate to the PRC. The DPP is frequently accused by the PRC government of being a primary force in Taiwan to "prevent

4440-468: The DPP chairmanship election had concluded. The former DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang was appointed to replace Hsieh as premier. Hsieh and his cabinet resigned en masse on 24 January to make way for Su and his new cabinet. President Chen had offered the position of Presidential Office Secretary-General (vacated by Su) to the departing premier, but Hsieh declined and left office criticizing President Chen for his tough line on dealing with China. In 2005, following

4551-652: The DPP in 2022 and was appointed premier in January 2023. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Fu Jen Catholic University before running for the presidential election and served as Fu Jen's Robert J. Ronald Chair Professor after leaving office. Chen Chien-jen was born at his family home in Cishan , Kaohsiung County, in 1951, as one of eight children. His father, Chen Hsin-an, served as Kaohsiung County Magistrate from 1954 to 1957. Chen's mother Chen Wei Lien-chih managed

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4662-600: The Democratic Progressive Party caucus. With the support of some KMT colleagues, Chen was also elected convener of the National Defense Committee. He was instrumental in laying out and moderating many of the DPP's positions on Taiwan independence , including the four ifs . He was reelected to another three-year term in 1992, but resigned in two years to become mayor. Chen was elected as the mayor of Taipei in 1994, largely as

4773-465: The Democratic Progressive Party retained its legislative majority, winning 61 seats . The 13 January 2024 presidential election and legislative elections led to the election of Lai Ching-te who won with 40.1% of the votes, while his opponents, Hou Yu-ih of the KMT had 33.5% of the votes, and Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party with 26.5% of the vote. In addition, this election made

4884-539: The Formosa Faction would dominate high-level positions within the party. The party did not at the outset give explicit support to an independent Taiwanese national identity , partially because moderates such as Hsu Hsin-liang were concerned that such a move that could have invited a violent crackdown by the Kuomintang and alienate voters, but also because some members such as Lin Cheng-chieh supported unification. Partially due to their waning influence within

4995-627: The Formosa faction, founded by those arrested during the Formosa Incident after their release from prison. In the early days of the party, the Formosa faction focused on winning elections by wielding the star power of its leaders, while New Tide would focus on ideological mobilization and developing grassroots support for social movements. As a result, the Formosa faction would become more moderate, often bending to public opinion, while New Tide would become more ideologically cohesive. By 1988

5106-524: The Legislative Yuan approved the same-sex marriage bill, Chen supported it by writing "The Executive Yuan has courageously assumed its responsibility, exercised its utmost wisdom and patience, and continuously communicated and coordinated with the pro and con sides in an effort to reduce social disagreements, proposing a bill that is consistent with the conclusion of the Justice's interpretation of

5217-486: The National Audit Office found irregularities in presidential office accounts. The Taiwan High Court Prosecutors' Office investigated over this accusation. In a press release, the presidential office responded that the president assured the investigators that he did not pocket a single cent of the fund. During questioning at the presidential Office on the afternoon of 7 August 2006, the president detailed to

5328-503: The PRC. Under agreement with the Vatican, Italy permitted all guests to the funeral passage without hindrance and Chen was received at the airport in his capacity as a foreign head of state. In this religious ceremony where U.S. president George W. Bush greeted Iranian president Khatami, Chen did not seem to attempt to a high profile of himself by reaching out to other heads of states such as Bush or British prime minister Tony Blair . Chen

5439-521: The President of the Legislative Yuan, but lost by one vote. The vote that was missing was legislator Chang Chin-cheng 's failure to vote for Shih. As a result, Chang was expelled from the DPP. Post-democratization, the DPP shifted their focus to anti-corruption issues, in particular regarding KMT connections to organized crime as well as "party assets" illegally acquired from the government during martial law. Meanwhile, factions continued to form within

5550-519: The Presidential Office were indicted of corruption of NT$ 14.8 million (US$ 450,000) of government funds using faked documents. Due to the protection from the constitution against prosecution of the sitting president, Chen could not be prosecuted until he left office, and he was not indicted, but was alleged to be an accomplice on his wife's indictment. The prosecutor of the case indicated that once Chen left office, his office would start

5661-463: The Republic of China , Su Tseng-chang , and announced he would not be involved in campaigning. He also stated that he was retaining authority on matters that the constitution required him to retain authority over, presumably foreign affairs and defense policy, as well as relations with the PRC. On 20 July 2006, opposition politicians accused that Chen had used a total of NT$ 10.2 million (US$ 310,000) worth of "fake invoices" to claim expenses after

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5772-679: The Taiwanese. Pan-Blue believed that his bill was only intended to benefit Chen in the coming election, as whether PRC removes the missiles would not be pressured or decided by referendum result. In October 2003, Chen flew to New York City for a second time. At the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel , he was presented with the Human Rights Award by the International League of Human Rights . In the subsequent leg of

5883-470: The Tsai administration as premier of Taiwan , taking office on 31 January. Chen and the members of his cabinet submitted their joint resignations on 18 January 2024. Chen is married to Lo Fong-ping, whose family is from Nanjing. Chen Chien-jen is a devout Catholic . Chen and his wife were invited to visit the Vatican several times by Popes John Paul II , Benedict XVI , and Francis . He has been invested as

5994-466: The U.S. Congress. The mayor of Houston presented Chen with a key to the city and gave him cowboy clothing. His trip to New York was a first for a head of state from Taiwan as there was unwritten agreement between the US and China that no head of state from Taiwan would be permitted to visit either New York or Washington, D.C. After his first year in office, Chen moved away from sending conciliatory gestures. In

6105-615: The US refused his request instead limiting him to a brief refuelling stopover in Anchorage, Alaska, where Chen would not be allowed to step off the plane. Chen and Taiwan saw this as a snub and led to Chen's cancellation. The trip to Latin America continued, however, without a US stopover. The US State Department claimed that the Alaska stopover offer was consistent with its previous accommodations. However, former Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui

6216-561: The United Nations Chinese unification Taiwan independence movement Taiwanese nationalism Tangwai movement The Democratic Progressive Party ( DPP ) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan , officially the Republic of China (ROC). It is currently the major ruling party in Taiwan, controlling both the presidency and the central government , while also being

6327-510: The ability to open discuss events from the past such as the February 28 Incident and its long aftermath of martial law , and space for a greater variety of political views and advocacy. Once the DPP had representation in the Legislative Yuan , the party used the legislature as a forum to challenge the ruling KMT. In 1996, DPP Chairman Shih Ming-teh united with the New Party to run for

6438-508: The chamber. President Chen's moves sparked a debate within the party between fundamentalists and moderates who were concerned that voters would abandon their party. The fundamentalists won out, and as a result the DPP would largely follow Chen's lead. The DPP suffered a significant election defeat in nationwide local and county elections in December 2005 , while the pan-blue coalition captured 16 of 23 county and city government offices under

6549-540: The council or its guidelines. Adam Ereli, deputy spokesman of the US State Department, issued a statement on 2 March 2006, that the understanding of the United States was that the difference between "abolish" and "ceasing activity" implied no change in the status quo. On 3 May 2006, Chen canceled plans to pass through the United States on his way to Latin America. He was hoping to stop by either San Francisco or New York City to refuel and stay overnight, but

6660-496: The country's name without calling for abandonment of the name Republic of China. In the national elections held in early months of 2008, the DPP won less than 25% of the seats (38.2% vote share) in the new Legislative Yuan while its presidential candidate, former Kaohsiung mayor Frank Hsieh , lost to KMT candidate Ma Ying-jeou by a wide margin (41.55% vs. 58.45%). In May, the DPP elected moderate Tsai Ing-wen as their new leader over fundamentalist Koo Kwang-ming . Tsai became

6771-543: The dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition , one of the two main political groups in Taiwan. Founded in 1986 by Hsu Hsin-liang , Hsieh Tsung-min and Lin Shui-chuan, a year prior to the end of martial law , the DPP is one of two major parties in Taiwan, the other being the Kuomintang (KMT), a Chinese nationalist party previously ruling the country as a one-party state , and its smaller allies in

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6882-456: The drafting of a new constitution as well as declaration of a new Republic of Taiwan via referendum (which resulted in many pro-unification members leaving the party). However, the party would quickly begin to walk back on this language, and eventually in 1999 the party congress passed a resolution that Taiwan was already an independent country, under the official name "Republic of China", and that any constitutional changes should be approved by

6993-510: The election, he sought to reassure critics and moderate supporters that the new constitution would not address the issue of sovereignty, and that the current constitution was in need of comprehensive reform after more than a decade of patchwork revision. On 20 May 2004, Chen was sworn in for his second term as president amid continued mass protests by the pan-blue alliance over the validity of his re-election. Having heard protests from pro-independence figures in Taiwan, he did not explicitly re-state

7104-412: The end of its first year in office. The DPP marked the anniversary with massive rallies in Taipei and Kaohsiung. Tsai's address to the crowd in Taipei on 17 May proclaimed a "citizens' movement to protect Republic of China" seeking to "protect our democracy and protect Republic of China." On 16 January 2016, Taiwan held a general election for its presidency and for the Legislative Yuan . The DPP gained

7215-684: The first ROC president to visit Europe, when he attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in the Vatican City (the Holy See continues to maintain diplomatic relations with the ROC). In order to shore up diplomatic support, it is common for the ROC president to visit the ROC's remaining diplomatic allies; however, past presidents had been prevented from visiting the Vatican because such a visit would require passage through Italy, which maintains relations with

7326-496: The first female leader of the DPP and the first female leader to lead a major party in Taiwan. The first months since backed to the opposition were dominated by press coverage of the travails of Chen Shui-bian and his wife Wu Shu-jen . On 15 August 2008, Chen resigned from the DPP and apologized: "Today I have to say sorry to all of the DPP members and supporters. I let everyone down, caused you humiliation and failed to meet your expectations. My acts have caused irreparable damage to

7437-446: The first party other than the KMT to reach a plurality in the Legislative Yuan following the 2001 legislative election . However, a majority coalition between the KMT, People First Party , and New Party prevented it from taking control of the chamber. This coalition was at odds with the presidency from the beginning, and led to President Chen's abandonment of the centrist positions that he ran his campaign on. In 2003, Chen announced

7548-503: The inability to pass legislation against the opposition KMT, who controlled the Legislative Yuan. In 2004, he won reelection by a narrow margin after surviving a shooting while campaigning the day before the election. Opponents suspected him of staging the incident for political purposes. However, the case was officially closed in 2005 with all evidence pointing to a single deceased suspect, Chen Yi-hsiung . In 2009, Chen and his wife Wu Shu-chen were convicted on two bribery charges. Chen

7659-495: The inauguration of Óscar Arias , the president of Costa Rica , one of the few countries that recognized the Republic of China at that time. Laura Bush was also present to represent U.S. president George W. Bush . Chen seized the opportunity, approached her and shook her hands, while Chen's aide produced a camera immediately for an impromptu photo-op . Chen's supporters saw this act as a step forward in Taiwan's struggle for diplomatic recognition, while his detractors claimed that it

7770-459: The leadership of popular Taipei mayor and KMT Party Chairman Ma Ying-jeou . Moderates within the party would blame this loss on the party's fundamentalist turn. The results led to a shake up of the party leadership. Su Tseng-chang resigned as DPP chairman soon after election results were announced. Su had pledged to step down if the DPP lost either Taipei County or failed to win 10 of the 23 mayor/magistrate positions. Vice President Annette Lu

7881-431: The liver cancer risk of people with hepatitis B. Chen also discovered a link from arsenic to blackfoot disease  [ zh ] . The arsenic research lead to the revision of international health standards for arsenic exposure. Between 2011 and November 2015, Chen was a vice president of Academia Sinica . Chen served as Minister of Health from 2003 to 2005. As health minister, he was praised for effectively managing

7992-600: The notion that China is synonymous with the PRC instead of the ROC as was mandated by the KMT. The "Free China Review" was renamed the Taiwan Review and Who's Who in the ROC was renamed Who's Who in Taiwan. In January 2003, a new Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation was formed but the Cabinet-level Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission was not abolished. Though Chen has proposed talks with the PRC, relations remain deadlocked as Chen refused to pledge to

8103-412: The opposition is willing to consider constitutional reforms that would increase governmental efficiency, they are unlikely to support anything that would imply a de jure declaration of independence. However, even these seemingly conciliatory gestures did not quell unease by his critics at his election. Some have pointed out that he qualified his statements on the constitution with the statement that this

8214-496: The opposition party. This was a setback for the Chen Shui-bian administration. In related charges, there were accusations from the opposition party that Chen Shui-bian's wife was involved in trading stocks and obtaining Pacific Sogo Department Store 's gift certificates illegally in exchange for settling the disputed ownership. On 1 June 2006, Chen declared that he was handing control of governmental matters to Premier of

8325-505: The participants of the Kaohsiung Incident in a military court. While his client Huang Hsin-chieh , the leading opposition dissident, and seven co-defendants, including his future Vice President Annette Lu , were found guilty, Chen came to be known for his forceful and colorful arguments. He has stated that it was during this period that he realized the unfairness of the political system in Taiwan and became politically active as

8436-490: The party and partially due to their ideological commitment, between 1988 and 1991 the New Tide Faction would push the independence issue, bolstered by the return of pro-independence activists from overseas who were previously barred from Taiwan. In 1991, in order to head off the New Tide, party chairman Hsu Hsin-liang of the moderate Formosa faction agreed to include language in the party charter which advocated for

8547-592: The party supporting same-sex marriage and other LGBT rights . On foreign policy, the DPP is more willing to increase military expenditures to prevent military intimidation from the People's Republic of China (PRC) owing to the ambiguous political status of Taiwan . It favors closer ties with democratic nations such as Japan and the United States , as well as the nations of ASEAN as part of its New Southbound Policy . In its policy on Cross-strait relations ,

8658-416: The party's anti-corruption committee, we respect his decision and accept it." The DPP vowed to reflect on public misgivings towards the party. Chairperson Tsai insisted on the need for the party to remember its history, defend the Republic of China's sovereignty and national security, and maintain its confidence. The party re-emerged as a voice in Taiwan's political debate when Ma's administration reached

8769-400: The party's stance on independence to appeal to moderate voters, appease the United States, and placate China. He also promised not to change the ROC state symbols or declare formal independence as long as the People's Republic of China did not attack Taiwan. Further, he advocated for economic exchange with China as well as the establishment of transportation links. In 2002, the DPP became

8880-483: The party. I love the DPP deeply and am proud of being a DPP member. To express my deepest regrets to all DPP members and supporters, I announce my withdrawal from the DPP immediately. My wife Wu Shu-jen is also withdrawing from the party." DPP Chairperson followed with a public statement on behalf of the party: "In regard to Chen and his wife's decision to withdraw from the party and his desire to shoulder responsibility for his actions as well as to undergo an investigation by

8991-490: The passage of the Anti-Secession Law , the Chen administration issued a statement asserting the position that Taiwan's future should be decided by the people on Taiwan only. On 30 September 2007, the DPP approved a resolution asserting a separate identity from China and called for the enactment of a new constitution for a "normal nation". It struck an accommodating tone by advocating general use of " Taiwan " as

9102-430: The people via referendum, while emphasizing the use of the name "Taiwan" in international settings. Despite its lack of electoral success, the pressure that the DPP created on the ruling KMT via its demands are widely credited in the political reforms of the 1990s, most notably the direct popular election of Republic of China's president and all representatives in the National Assembly and Legislative Yuan , as well

9213-542: The presidency; he succeeded fellow DPP member Tsai Ing-wen in May 2024. The DPP is a longtime member of Liberal International and a founding member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats . It represented Taiwan in the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). The DPP is widely classified as socially liberal having been founded as a party for human rights, including factions within

9324-443: The presidential seat, with the election of Tsai Ing-wen, who received 56.12% of the votes, while her opponent Eric Chu gained 31.2%. In addition, the DPP gained a majority of the Legislative Yuan, winning 68 seats in the 113-seat legislature, up from 40 in 2012 election, thus giving them the majority for the first time in its history. President Tsai won reelection in the 2020 Taiwanese presidential election on 11 January 2020, and

9435-435: The procedures to press charges against Chen. The indictment filed by prosecutors states that the indicted persons obtained government funds earmarked for secret foreign affairs, yet of six supposed secret diplomatic missions, there was sufficient evidence presented for only two. Of the remaining four, it was concluded that one did not exist, and in the case of the other three, the invoices presented were not found to be related to

9546-478: The prosecutor how he spent the fund and presented relevant receipts and bank remittance statements. Chen also lost a libel case brought on successfully by PFP chairman James Soong. Soong sued the president after Chen repeatedly accused him of secretly meeting the director of the People's Republic of China's Taiwan Affairs Office. Soong successfully sued Chen for NT$ 3 million. On 3 November 2006, Chen's wife Wu Shu-chen and three other high-ranking officials of

9657-521: The publication of an article which claimed that the doctoral dissertation of Elmer Fung , a college philosophy professor (who would later become a New Party legislator), was plagiarized. While appealing the sentence, he returned to Tainan to run for county magistrate in November 1985. Three days after losing the election, his wife, Wu Shu-chen was hit twice by a hand tractor driven by Chang Jong-tsai as Chen and Wu were thanking their supporters. She

9768-1330: The radical reforms he has tried to implement since stepping into power. Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching-te ( DPP ) Hsiao Bi-khim ( DPP ) Cho Jung-tai ( DPP ) 11th Legislative Yuan Han Kuo-yu ( KMT ) Shieh Ming-yan acting Vacant Vacant Vacant Control Yuan Chen Chu Lee Hung-chun Local government Central Election Commission Kuomintang Democratic Progressive Party Taiwan People's Party Others New Power Party Taiwan Statebuilding Party People First Party Taiwan Solidarity Union New Party Non-Partisan Solidarity Union Newspapers United Daily News Liberty Times China Times Taipei Times Propaganda Censorship Film censorship Lin Chia-lung Cross-Strait relations Special state-to-state relations One Country on Each Side 1992 Consensus Taiwan consensus Chinese Taipei Australia–Taiwan relations Canada–Taiwan relations France–Taiwan relations Russia–Taiwan relations Taiwan–United Kingdom relations Taiwan–United States relations Republic of China (1912–1949) Chinese Civil War One-China policy China and

9879-425: The receipts in such a fashion, and that after six years of doing so, it is strange that they would never mention an irregularity if it was not the right way to do it. He promised that all of the money actually went to diplomatic missions and did not go into any private pockets. Furthermore, he mentioned that when he took office, he thought his salary was so excessive that he cut his own salary in half, and that reduction

9990-625: The result of a vote split between the KMT incumbent Huang Ta-chou and the KMT-spin-off New Party (NP) candidate Jaw Shaw-kong . Unable to find experienced bureaucrats from his own party, Chen and his inner circle of young law school graduates retained many of the KMT administrators and delegated considerable authority. During his term, Chen received accolades for his campaigns to drive illegal gambling and prostitution rackets out of Taipei . He levied large fines on polluters and reformed public works contracts. Chen renamed many of

10101-515: The roads in Taipei, most notably the road which runs between KMT headquarters to the Presidential Palace from Chieh-shou Road ( 介壽路 ) to Ketagalan Boulevard in an effort to acknowledge the aboriginal people of the Taipei basin. Chen also made highly publicized evictions of longtime KMT squatters on municipal land, and ordered Chiang Wei-kuo 's estate demolished. Chen was also named one of Asia's rising stars, and Taipei became one of

10212-585: The second day of the ninth lunar month in 1950 but was not formally issued a birth certificate until 18 February 1951, because of doubts that he would survive. Chen was educated in Mandarin Chinese, which had replaced Japanese as the national language following the end of the Japanese administration of Taiwan. Academically bright from a young age, he graduated from the prestigious National Tainan First Senior High School with honors. In June 1969, he

10323-403: The secret missions. The pan-Blue coalition , after receiving the news, demanded to call for another recall motion unless Chen resigned immediately. Another small party that backed Chen previously, Taiwan Solidarity Union, said they would likely to support the upcoming recall measure. If the recall had passed, it would have been up to the voters to decide Chen's fate in a referendum. Leaders of

10434-478: The summer of 2002, Chen again became the chairman of the DPP. During his tenure, images of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo disappeared from public buildings. The word "TAIWAN" is now printed on new ROC passports. Also continuing a trend from the previous administration, the Education Ministry revised the school curriculum to be more Taiwan-centered. Government websites have also tended to promote

10545-459: The top 50 cities in Asia according to Time Asia magazine. Despite receiving more votes both in absolute and in percentage terms than his 1994 campaign, Chen lost the mayoral election of 1998 to the KMT's candidate and future president Ma Ying-jeou in large part because the KMT was able to gain the support of New Party supporters. In his first autobiography, "The Son of Taiwan", Chen wrote that he

10656-522: The trip to Panama, he met with US Secretary of State Colin Powell and shook hands with him. This high-profile trip raised Chen's standing in opinion polls ahead of his opponent Lien Chan for the first time at 35%, according to Agence France-Presse. His use of the referendum in combination with his talk of a new constitution lead many among his reunification critics to believe that he would attempt to achieve Taiwan independence in his second term by invoking

10767-441: The vice-president, Annette Lu , would likely have taken power. After the prosecutor announced the indictment, the campaign leader Shih proclaimed that the indictment was the historical high point in Taiwan and the month-long campaign was a success. In a press conference 5 November 2006, Chen rebutted the charges against his wife and members of his presidential office. He said that Taiwan government offices advised him to prepare

10878-418: The vote as a result of a split of factions within the Kuomintang, when James Soong ran for the presidency as an independent against the party nominee Lien Chan , becoming the first non-member of the Kuomintang to hold the office of president. Although Chen received high approval ratings during the first few weeks of his term, his popularity sharply dropped due to alleged corruption within his administration and

10989-440: The weapons were a good idea but too expensive. By late 2006, the KMT had signalled it would support some of the arms sale being approved, but failed to pass a revised arms bill by the end of the legislative session in early 2007, despite promises by then KMT chairman, Ma Ying-jeou , to do that. Chen announced on 5 December that state-owned or private enterprises and foreign offices bearing the name "China", such as China Airlines ,

11100-713: Was a grave breach of international etiquette and put Taiwan to shame. On 12 May 2007, Premier Su Tseng-Chang resigned his position, and Chen soon appointed Chang Chun-hsiung to fill the vacant premiership. During Chen's tenure, beginning in 2000, the country has seen six different premiers in the past seven years. During the same period of time, from 2000 onward, the Democratic Progressive Party has also seen seven different chairmen. Chen's tenure as president expired on 20 May 2008, yielding to successor Ma Ying-Jeou. From his election to his first term to his last days as president, Chen's approval ratings fell from 79% to just 21%. In May 2006, his approval rating fell to around 20% after

11211-406: Was admitted to National Taiwan University . Initially a business administration major, he switched to law in his first year and became editor of the school's law review. He passed the bar exams before the completion of his junior year with the highest score, becoming Taiwan's youngest lawyer. He graduated in 1974 with an LL.B. in commercial law. In 1975, he married Wu Shu-chen , the daughter of

11322-430: Was also reportedly shot in the leg in the same incident. The following day, Chen narrowly won the election with a margin of less than 30,000 votes out of 12.9 million votes counted. Both of his referendum proposals were rejected due to insufficient turnout, in part by the pan-Blue boycott. Those that did vote for the referendum overwhelmingly favored it. Pan-Blue candidate Lien Chan refused to concede and sued both for

11433-434: Was appointed acting DPP leader. Presidential Office Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun was elected in a three-way race against legislator Chai Trong-rong and Wong Chin-chu with 54.4% of the vote. Premier Frank Hsieh , DPP election organizer and former mayor of Kaohsiung twice tendered a verbal resignation immediately following the election, but his resignation was not accepted by President Chen until 17 January 2006 after

11544-498: Was furious and the KMT began an effort to recall the president. The Council of Grand Justices intervened and declared that it was the legislature and not the cabinet that had the power to decide on the issue. This was widely seen as the end of Chen's attempts to face the pan-Blue groups head on. By the end of his first year in office, Chen's approval ratings had dropped to 25%. During the summer of 2001, Chen flew to Los Angeles, Houston , and New York City, where he met with members of

11655-445: Was granted a visit to Cornell University eleven years earlier. More recently, in addition, Taiwan's leaders have in general been granted permission to stopover in the United States for brief periods before continuing on to other countries. This recent American stance is interpreted by Taiwan to be an expression of the increasing irritation the United States feels towards Taiwan and Chen's seemingly pro-independence gestures. Chen attended

11766-403: Was jailed for libel following publication of an article critical of Elmer Fung , a college philosophy professor who was later elected a New Party legislator. After being released, Chen helped found the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 1986 and was elected a member of the Legislative Yuan in 1989, and Mayor of Taipei in 1994. Chen won the 2000 presidential election on 18 March with 39% of

11877-542: Was left paralyzed from the waist down. His supporters believed this was part of a government campaign to intimidate him, although another theory says it was a simple traffic accident. Chen lost his appeal in May 1986 and began serving eight months in the Tucheng Penitentiary along with Huang Tien-fu and Lee I-yang , two other defendants in the case. Whilst in Tucheng the 3 prisoners were also joined for

11988-607: Was named one of the Time 100 for 2005. Later in the year, Chen traveled to Miami in stopover for a forum in the Caribbean. He met with members of the U.S. Congress through video conference and was invited to visit Washington, D.C. On his way back, he was originally scheduled to fly through San Francisco. However, he changed course and stopped-over at the United Arab Emirates. The head of state greeted him and hosted

12099-571: Was not entirely upset about losing the re-election as it gave him opportunity to find out what areas in his political career he could improve. For example, he wrote that mainland Chinese people generally approved of his social and economic improvements in Taipei, but they ultimately voted for Ma because of ethnic tensions. He also traveled extensively nationwide and abroad. In South Korea, he met with president Kim Dae-jung , who presented him with an award. He also met with Japanese prime minister Yoshiro Mori , who promised that he would celebrate if he won

12210-563: Was sentenced to 19 years in Taipei Prison , reduced from a life sentence on appeal, but was granted medical parole on 5 January 2015. Chen's supporters have claimed that his trial and sentencing were politically motivated retribution by the Kuomintang for his years in power. Chen was born to an impoverished tenant farming family of Hoklo ethnicity in Kuantien Township of Tainan County (now part of Tainan City) on

12321-446: Was the first president from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), ending the Kuomintang 's (KMT) 55 years of continuous rule in Taiwan . He is sometimes referred to by the nickname A-Bian ( 阿扁 ). A lawyer, Chen entered politics in 1980 during the Kaohsiung Incident as a member of the Tangwai movement and was elected to the Taipei City Council in 1981. In 1985, as the editor of the weekly pro-democracy magazine Neo-Formosa , he

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