Chen Shui-bian: ROC 11th-term president

Chen Shui-bian was born into the family of a tenant farmer in the Guantian Township of Tainan County in the ninth month of the lunar calendar in 1950. Because his family did not register his birth with the local authority immediately, his identification certificate now shows his date of birth as February 18, 1951.

Growing up in poverty did not weaken Mr. Chen’s aspiration for a better future. Although his family had to borrow money to put him through school, Mr. Chen graduated at the top of his class from Long Tian Elementary School, the junior department of Zeng Wun High School, and Tainan First Senior High School. In 1969, he passed the Joint College and University Entrance Examinations and was admitted to the business administration division of the Commerce Department of National Taiwan University (NTU), his first choice. However, he soon found that this course of study did not interest him. Coincidentally, the first-ever supplementary and additional by-elections for the Legislative Yuan were held around that time. Huang Hsin-chieh, a pioneer of the democratic movement in Taiwan, was running in the election, and Mr. Chen was deeply moved by his campaign speech; he then decided to study law instead.

The following year, Mr. Chen again participated in the Joint College and University Entrance Examinations. He received the top score and was admitted to NTU’s Department of Law. During his junior year, he took the national bar examination and passed with the highest score, becoming the nation’s youngest lawyer at the time. Even before his graduation from university, Mr. Chen began working at a law office. He recognized that Taiwan, as a maritime nation throughout its historical development, has maintained its global reach primarily through international trade. Taking into consideration Taiwan’s export-oriented economy at the time, Mr. Chen decided to become a specialist in maritime law.

In 1975, Mr. Chen married Ms. Wu Sue-jen and began practicing law full-time. The couple has a daughter and a son. In 1979, a human rights rally turned violent when government troops clashed with demonstrators. In what is now known as the “Kaohsiung Incident,” the authorities came down on democratic activists with a heavy hand, bringing them before military tribunals on charges of sedition. Their trials drew international attention and inspired Mr. Chen’s sense of truth and justice. With the support of his wife, he became a defense lawyer for one of the defendants, Huang Hsin-chieh. In the “court of the Taiwan people’s conscience,” he stood in defense of freedom, human rights, and democracy. This was the beginning of Mr. Chen’s dedication to politics and the opposition movement. Together with the people of Taiwan, he committed himself to carrying on the work of generations of democratic vanguards before him in the pursuit of justice, freedom, and democracy.

Mr. Chen first ran for public office in 1981 with the campaign slogan of “democracy, balance of power, and progress.” He was elected to the Taipei City Council with the highest number of votes. Steered by his legal conscience and sense of righteousness, Mr. Chen became well-known for exposing injustice and fearlessly criticizing the government.

In 1984, as publisher of a magazine critical of the government, Mr. Chen was accused of libel. Following the initial trial for the case in 1985, he resigned from his position in the Taipei City Council and returned to his hometown in Tainan County to run for county magistrate. He lost the election by a narrow margin. On November 18, 1985, while Mr. Chen was thanking voters for their support, his wife was hit by a tractor-truck speeding out of a small alleyway, an accident that left her paralyzed from waist down. The grief of the tragedy all the more strengthened Mr. Chen’s determination to support and assist the weak, challenge unfairness, and ensure social justice.

In 1986, Mr. Chen’s sentence of eight months in prison for libel was confirmed on appeal. On June 10, he was incarcerated in the Tucheng Penitentiary along with Huang Tian-fu and Lee Yi-yang, two other defendants in the same case. This was the most difficult time for the Chen family. Fortunately, the strong affection, support, and encouragement shared between Mr. and Mrs. Chen helped them through this period of hardship.

At the end of 1986, Mrs. Chen was elected to the Legislative Yuan. After Mr. Chen was released from prison in 1987, he formally joined the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and served as a legislative assistant to Mrs. Chen while continuing to practice law.

In December 1989, calling for justice, dedication, and professionalism, Mr. Chen was elected to the Legislative Yuan and became the first executive director of the DPP caucus. In December 1992, he was re-elected. During his terms as a legislator, Mr. Chen made an appeal to “replace political struggle with policy debate,” transforming the practice and thinking of the opposition party in its approach toward governmental affairs. Mr. Chen was the first to set up a professional legislative staff team. He was also the first opposition legislator to become convener of the Legislative Yuan’s Defense Committee. As the convener of the committee, he promoted transforming the military into a true national establishment—not controlled by any political party or individual—and restructuring the intelligence service as a legally defined agency. Furthermore, he called for the integration of military command and administration, and demanded greater transparency in military procurement. Mr. Chen also dedicated efforts to protecting the rights of servicemen, and as a result won praise as the best legislator from professional groups and journalists who reported on legislative affairs.

In 1988, the DPP issued a policy statement on Taiwan independence and self-determination. Acting as a coordinator, Mr. Chen proposed that the “four ifs”—if the KMT unilaterally held talks with the Chinese communists, if the KMT sold out the interests of the people of Taiwan, if the Chinese communists annexed Taiwan, and if the KMT did not implement true constitutional democracy—be incorporated into a resolution regarding Taiwan’s future. The “four ifs” defined the preconditions for the DPP’s advocacy of Taiwan independence and allowed greater flexibility for public discussion.

In 1991, the DPP considered amending the party platform to make the establishment of Taiwan as a nation an explicit goal of the party. Mr. Chen suggested the addition of a procedural premise: “Based on the principle that sovereignty belongs to the people, the issue should be decided by all the residents of Taiwan through a referendum.” Thus, the DPP’s so-called independence platform was revised to include a referendum. This approach confirms Mr. Chen’s rational and pragmatic approach to cross-strait relations as well as his firm commitment to democratic ideals.

Mr. Chen has always abided by his motto of “do what you are, and live up to what you do.” In August 1993, in order to prepare for the first election of the Taipei City mayor scheduled for 1994, and to get acquainted with city administration and planning, he set up the Chen Shui-bian Municipal Administration Center to host lectures and seminars. Following his nomination as the DPP candidate, Mr. Chen campaigned on the slogan “Happy Citizens in a City of Hope.” He expounded a vision of Taipei as a “new hometown,” where the four ethnic groups could come together in reconciliation. He also emphasized citizenship that called for direct participation by citizens, winning affirmation and support. His victory made him the first popularly elected Taipei mayor since the city was elevated to the status of a special municipality in 1967.

Mr. Chen considered only talent and ability—rather than ethnic origins or party affiliation—in choosing his team. In his first administrative report to the city council, he announced the revolutionary concept of taking an entrepreneurial approach to municipal operations, and proposed the vision of “a government of integrity, efficiency, and convenient access to public services” as the three overriding objectives of his administration. He consistently emphasized the principles of citizenry, strengthening social welfare, culture, and leisure, and reforming transportation and communications, education, and urban development as part of his plan to quickly and comprehensively re-engineer city government.

During his four-year term as mayor, Mr. Chen won praise from Taipei citizens for his achievements and efforts. These included managing the schedules of major construction projects, improving Taipei traffic, and putting the Taipei Rapid Transit System (TRTS) into service. He further expanded the city’s sewage system, promoted the Taipei Art Festival and Lantern Festival, and eliminated electronic game arcades and other specially licensed businesses. In 1998, Asiaweek magazine ranked Taipei City the fifth-best city in Asia for the quality of life it offers, the first time Taipei was placed in the top ten. Mr. Chen was also selected as one of the world’s top 100 leaders of the new century by Time magazine and one of the top 50 future Asian leaders by Asiaweek magazine.

As part of his plan to expand Taipei’s city diplomacy and enhance Taiwan’s international presence, Mr. Chen promoted the concept “Taipei steps out and the world comes in.” Taipei established 14 sister-city relationships and one partner-city relationship during his term as mayor. In 1998, Taipei hosted the first World Capitals Forum. With 67 cities from 58 countries participating, this event successfully focused the world’s attention on both Taipei and Taiwan.

After losing his re-election bid for the mayor’s office in December 1998, Mr. Chen responded to his disappointed supporters, saying, “Indifference to a progressive team is a phenomenon of a great city.” This was also an encouragement to himself. In 1999, following his departure from the mayoral office, Mr. Chen began a study tour throughout the island, listening to the views of the people while conceptualizing a blueprint for the nation’s future. He also embarked on a journey abroad to exchange views on a collective security system in the Asia-Pacific region with research institutes and political leaders in Japan, South Korea, and Mongolia. He traveled to the United States to open dialogues with think tanks and leading policy-makers, promoting the idea that the security of Taiwan was essential to international stability.

During his campaign for the presidency, Mr. Chen advocated a New Middle Way, with a focus on national security. He espoused the ideals of tolerance, transcending differences, and a new uplifting political thinking. Emphasizing clarity and firmness, he insisted on moderate and pragmatic approaches to policy implementation. In July 1999, Mr. Chen was formally nominated by the DPP as its candidate for the 2000 presidential election. In his speech “New Politics Is the Best Foundation for Taiwan in the Next Century,” he urged the people to cooperate in ending “black gold” (money politics), and bring about a change of ruling party. He campaigned on the slogan “A Young Taiwan and Dynamic Government,” vowing to sustain Taiwan’s booming vitality and maximize momentum for development.

As for stability in the Taiwan Strait, Mr. Chen maintained that both sides should uphold the principles of “goodwill reconciliation, active cooperation, and permanent peace,” in order to actively promote the normalization of the bilateral relationship. Under the premise of maintaining sovereignty, dignity, and security, Mr. Chen has continuously expressed his goodwill to Mainland China, in hopes of opening up possibilities for dialogue and cooperation.

On March 18, 2000, Mr. Chen Shui-bian and Ms. Lu Hsiu-lien won the popular mandate and were elected as the tenth-term president and vice president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Their inauguration on May 20, 2000 marked the first alternation of governing party and the peaceful transfer of power in the ROC, an outstanding democratic achievement among the ethnic Chinese societies of the world.

After the inauguration, Mr. Chen felt deeply that a stable, secure, and peaceful environment was the top priority for his administration. In his inaugural speech, he openly declared his “Four No’s Plus One” policy (of not declaring independence, not changing the national title, not pushing for the inclusion of the so-called “state-to-state” description in the Constitution, not promoting a referendum to change the status quo in regards to the question of independence or unification, and not raising the issue of abolishing the National Unification Council or the Guidelines for National Unification). With the utmost sincerity and goodwill, he hoped to foster a cross-strait relationship of reconciliation, cooperation, and peace. Guided by the principles of “taking a firm position and pursuing pragmatic progress,” Mr. Chen continued to promote positive cross-strait interactions in culture, the economy, trade, and politics.

Both sides of the strait are at crucial junctures in their development and should swiftly end the impasse and resume contact and consultations. Toward this end, Mr. Chen proposed “one principle and four major issue areas” in February 2004 and called for the establishment of a “peace and stability framework” for cross-strait interactions. The “one principle” in this proposal refers to “one peace” in place of “one China,” while the “four major issue areas” denote the establishment of a negotiation mechanism, exchanges based on equality and reciprocity, the establishment of a political relationship, and the prevention of military conflicts. Under this framework, the two sides could engage in negotiations to reach a mutually beneficial and reciprocal consensus, which could lead to the creation of a new chapter of permanent peace and long-term stability in the Taiwan Strait.

In order to attain his goal for Taiwan to stand up and reach out to the world, Mr. Chen embarked on four overseas tours, visiting 15 diplomatic allies to promote democracy, prosperity, cooperation, and friendship. These intercontinental trips not only strengthened the friendship between Taiwan and its allies, but also brought greater exposure for Taiwan on the world stage. These state visits also won Taiwan global recognition for its humanitarian involvement around the globe. Introducing the new idea of “diversified diplomacy,” President Chen instructed ROC representatives overseas to promote opportunities for Taiwan to participate in non-governmental organizations (NGOs). One of the most significant milestones for Taiwan was its admittance as the 144th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on January 1, 2002, after 12 years of tenacious effort to overcome diplomatic obstacles and impasses.

In August 2001, Mr. Chen convened an Economic Development Advisory Conference (EDAC) and invited representatives from all parties and sectors of society to participate in discussions on domestic economic revitalization, directions for Taiwan’s development, international competition and cooperation, cross-strait relations, and responses to WTO accession. EDAC delegates set “richly cultivating Taiwan while reaching out to the world” as the national economic vision for the new century. They also agreed to lay a sound foundation for cross-strait relations by replacing the “no haste, be patient” policy with one of “proactive liberalization with effective management.”

During the past era of authoritarian rule, the machinery of the nation—including the military, police, prosecutors, investigators, and even the civil service and judiciary—was often reduced to the service of a particular political party or individual. This became the main obstacle to Taiwan’s democratic development. Following the change of governing party, the administration gradually achieved success in putting the armed forces in the service of the nation and institutionalizing intelligence gathering. Mr. Chen has also ensured the neutrality of the civil service, accelerated judicial reform, guaranteed the independence of the judicial process, and investigated vote-buying practices. These administrative measures are aimed at more than just safeguarding social justice and implementing institutional reforms; they also create a clean political environment and protect the basic foundation for the democratic rule of law.

Rapid changes in the political and economic environment both internationally and across the Taiwan Strait, coupled with high expectations for reform among the people, prompted Mr. Chen to propose “one goal and two tasks” in his 2003 New Year’s Day Message. The one goal refers to providing a better life for the people, while the two tasks are to revive the economy and instate comprehensive reforms. Under Mr. Chen’s leadership and propelled by the efforts of his administrative team, considerable success has been achieved in eliminating black gold politics, stabilizing financial order, promoting economic growth, and elevating administrative efficiency. The government launched a series of financial reforms that not only prevented an internal financial crisis and strengthened the overall financial system, but also created conditions conducive to the development of Taiwan’s high value-added financial services industry. In step with the steady transformation of industry, the government’s executive capabilities improved noticeably. From the completion of the Syueshan Tunnel of the Taipei-Yilan Freeway and development of the Central Taiwan Science Park to the improvement of water quality in Kaohsiung, the realignment of the Keelung River, and the profit turnaround at state-owned enterprises, problems that had remained intractable over the past several decades were solved in the shortest time possible. These successes fully demonstrated the value underlying the change of governing party.

Despite the impact of the world economic slowdown, the outbreak of the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic, and the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US, Taiwan maintained a steady record of performance in national competitiveness assessments by internationally well-known economic institutes. In the latest 2003 survey of 102 countries by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Taiwan ranked fifth in growth competitiveness and topped the list of Asian countries for the second consecutive year. That same year, the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD) moved Taiwan up one spot to number six in its ranking of world competitiveness among economies with populations exceeding 20 million. In investment environment assessments by Business Environment Risk Intelligence (BERI) of Switzerland, Taiwan tied with Japan for the number four spot in a global ranking of low-risk countries suitable for investment. Taiwan’s performance was even more impressive in Brown University’s e-government survey, where it came out first among all nations. In 2003, the UK-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) rated Taiwan’s business climate third in Asia and 17th in the world, up four notches from the previous year. These rankings represent an exceptional record for Taiwan not seen in previous decades.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chen instructed that more attention be paid—through institutional and funding measures—to farmers, fishermen, workers, women, the elderly, and the disadvantaged, whose welfare had long been overlooked. His administration has since completed legislation for gender equality in the workplace, protection against mass layoffs, and employment insurance. In addition, children under the age of three now receive subsidies for medical care. Pre-school education vouchers are also available, and living stipends are distributed to the elderly. Other measures include higher stipends for elderly farmers, increased subsidies for suspended farming operations, sharply lower interest rates for farm loans, as well as reduced interest rates for educational loans.

To promote harmony among ethnic groups, Mr. Chen demanded that administrative agencies work in the spirit of tolerance and respect for diversity to preserve the linguistic, cultural, and artistic heritage of Taiwan’s ethnic groups. The Council for Hakka Affairs was established at the central government level, Hakka institutes have been set up at universities, and the world’s first Hakka television channel is now available. In dealing with the economically disadvantaged indigenous peoples, the government has demonstrated the utmost sincerity in restoring their rights to use lands and traditional natural resources. Draft legislation has also been formulated to honor a pledge to promote autonomy among indigenous peoples.

Mr. Chen firmly believes that human rights form the core and foundation of a constitutional democracy. Therefore, he has committed government efforts to making Taiwan a “nation of human rights.” In October 2000, he established the Human Rights Advisory Committee under the Presidential Office. The committee is charged with the research and planning of policy related to the incorporation of the International Bill of Rights into domestic law. It is also working toward the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission, one of the president’s key campaign promises to the nation. In December 2000, Mr. Chen signed an amnesty decree for prisoners of conscience, and on May 19, 2002, he also approved the founding of the preparatory office of the National Human Rights Museum. Mr. Chen’s activism and high regard for the protection of human rights won him the 2001 Prize for Freedom from Liberal International and the 2003 Human Rights Award from the International League for Human Rights. He attributed these honors to the efforts of the 23 million people of Taiwan.

From the lifting of martial law and the end of the ban on political party formation to the removal of restrictions on newspaper registration and the holding of complete parliamentary re-elections and direct presidential elections, Taiwan’s democratization has moved swiftly forward. With the growing maturity of the social environment, democracy in Taiwan has progressed from the election of candidates to the decision of issues. Referendums, a concrete manifestation of popular sovereignty, became possible after formal legislation on November 27, 2003, putting an end to the more than two decades of struggle for this right. On March 20, 2004, Mr. Chen invoked the provisions of Article 17 of this newly passed Referendum Act to hold Taiwan’s first-ever referendum concurrently with the presidential election. This signified the furtherance of Taiwan’s democracy and a great step forward in democratic reform.

On that same day, Mr. Chen and Ms. Lu Hsiu-lien were re-elected as the eleventh-term president and vice president of the Republic of China (Taiwan), once again winning the popular mandate to lead the nation toward a new era. Following his re-election, Mr. Chen announced his new four-year mission and duty of ensuring “Taiwan solidarity, cross-strait stability, social order, and economic prosperity.” He vowed to uphold the principles of “listening, understanding, law and reason, and solidarity” in leading his administration in a concerted effort to create a bright and beautiful future for Taiwan and its 23 million people.

Additional Information about President Chen Shui-bian

President Chen is the author of a number of books, including The Son of Taiwan; The First Voyage of the Century: Reflections on Taiwan’s First Alternation of Political Power; and Believe in Taiwan: Chen Shui-bian’s Report to the People. He also published President A-bian: Up Close and Personal (A Photo Treasury); Taiwan, Young and Vibrant: Journeying down the Road of Progress; and other photographic collections, in addition to establishing the President A-bian Online Newsletter. Furthermore, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by Kyungnam University and an Honorary Doctor of Political Science by Yong-In University, both in Korea. Mr. Chen is also the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Economics from Plekhanov Russian Academy of Economics, an Honorary Doctorate from the National Autonomous University of Honduras, and an Honorary Doctorate from National Asuncion University in Paraguay. In December 1999, at the invitation of Professor Anthony Giddens, director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, Mr. Chen espoused his political philosophy in a speech titled “The New Middle Road for Taiwan: A New Political Perspective.”

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