Chen Shui-bian - Tenth-term President, Republic of China

Taiwan 2002

Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁

Chen Shui-bian - Tenth-term President, Republic of China
Tenth-term President, Republic of China
Chen Shui-bian was born on February 18, 1951, in Kuantien, Tainan County, to a poor farming family. In 1969, he passed the Joint College and University Entrance Examination with the highest score possible. Mr. Chen received his LL.B. from National Taiwan University in 1974, graduating with the Outstanding Performance Award.

He was a highly successful attorney at the Formosan International Marine and Commercial Law Office, serving as a senior partner from 1976 until 1989. In 1980, Mr. Chen took his first political case, defending the staff and supporters of Formosa magazine, who had been charged with sedition and riot following the 1979 "Kaohsiung Incident" 美麗島事件.
Mr. Chen first ran for public office in 1981, winning a seat in the Taipei City Council as an independent and becoming its youngest member ever. After serving for five years, he joined the Democratic Progressive Party 民主進步黨 (DPP), which became the first major opposition party following the lifting of martial law in 1987.
Mr. Chen quickly advanced in the DPP and served as a member of the DPP Central Standing Committee from 1987 to 1989. He was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1989 and served until 1994; was executive director of the DPP caucus of legislators from 1990 to 1993; and served on the DPP Central Executive Committee from 1991 to 1996. In the Legislative Yuan, Mr. Chen served as co-convener of both the National Defense Committee and the Rules Committee.
In 1994, Mr. Chen was recognized by Time magazine in its "Global 100" list of forthcoming young leaders for the new millennium. Mr. Chen left the legislature that year to run in the Taipei mayoral election. With 44 percent of the vote in a three-way race, Chen won a great victory for both himself and the DPP. During Mr. Chen's four-year tenure as Taipei mayor, his administration maintained a consistent approval rating of over 70 percent. Mr. Chen cracked down on the sex industry, eradicated corruption, fought crime, and tackled traffic problems, earning Taipei a place in Asiaweek's top five best cities in Asia.
On March 18, 2000, Chen Shui-bian was elected the tenth-term president of the Republic of China. Major themes of Mr. Chen's administration are to develop Taiwan into a high-tech "Green Silicon Island," promote lasting peace in the Taiwan Strait, uphold the Taiwan spirit, and share the island's achievements with the rest of the world.
To reinforce relations with the ROC's diplomatic partners throughout the world, President Chen made highly successful state visits to the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, The Gambia, Burkina Faso, and Chad from August 14 through August 25, 2000. In his October 10, 2000 National Day Message, President Chen announced: "The people of Taiwan now stand up. Taiwan is now part of the worldwide trend of democracy and freedom."
On June 5, 2001, President Chen returned from his second trip to the Americas. During these 16 days, he visited heads-of-state in Honduras, Paraguay, Panama, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and made transit stops in the United States, where he held historic meetings with several US congressmen and senators.
In August 2001, President Chen convened the Economic Development Advisory Conference (EDAC), consisting of representatives from all sectors of society. The EDAC reached a total of 322 points of consensus on revitalizing Taiwan's economy, promoting cross-strait and international relations, and preparing for WTO accession. President Chen was awarded the 2001 Prize for Freedom by Liberal International. Although he was unable to travel to France due to Beijing's interference, First Lady Wu Shu-jen accepted the prize on his behalf in Strasbourg on November 14, 2001.
In his "Meeting Challenges, Moving Forward" New Year's address on January 1, 2002, President Chen emphasized that national unity in times of uncertainty is essential to the continuation of peace, stability, and prosperity for the people of Taiwan.

Copyright (C) July 2002, Government Information Office. All rights reserved. Site design by L.F. Lee
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		Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁
		Tenth-term President, Republic of China Chen Shui-bian was born on February 18, 1951, in Kuantien, Tainan County, to a poor farming family. In 1969, he passed the Joint College and University Entrance Examination with the highest score possible. Mr. Chen received his LL.B. from National Taiwan University in 1974, graduating with the Outstanding Performance Award. He was a highly successful attorney at the Formosan International Marine and Commercial Law Office, serving as a senior partner from 1976 until 1989. In 1980, Mr. Chen took his first political case, defending the staff and supporters of Formosa magazine, who had been charged with sedition and riot following the 1979 "Kaohsiung Incident" 美麗島事件. Mr. Chen first ran for public office in 1981, winning a seat in the Taipei City Council as an independent and becoming its youngest member ever. After serving for five years, he joined the Democratic Progressive Party 民主進步黨 (DPP), which became the first major opposition party following the lifting of martial law in 1987. Mr. Chen quickly advanced in the DPP and served as a member of the DPP Central Standing Committee from 1987 to 1989. He was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1989 and served until 1994; was executive director of the DPP caucus of legislators from 1990 to 1993; and served on the DPP Central Executive Committee from 1991 to 1996. In the Legislative Yuan, Mr. Chen served as co-convener of both the National Defense Committee and the Rules Committee. In 1994, Mr. Chen was recognized by Time magazine in its "Global 100" list of forthcoming young leaders for the new millennium. Mr. Chen left the legislature that year to run in the Taipei mayoral election. With 44 percent of the vote in a three-way race, Chen won a great victory for both himself and the DPP. During Mr. Chen's four-year tenure as Taipei mayor, his administration maintained a consistent approval rating of over 70 percent. Mr. Chen cracked down on the sex industry, eradicated corruption, fought crime, and tackled traffic problems, earning Taipei a place in Asiaweek's top five best cities in Asia. On March 18, 2000, Chen Shui-bian was elected the tenth-term president of the Republic of China. Major themes of Mr. Chen's administration are to develop Taiwan into a high-tech "Green Silicon Island," promote lasting peace in the Taiwan Strait, uphold the Taiwan spirit, and share the island's achievements with the rest of the world. To reinforce relations with the ROC's diplomatic partners throughout the world, President Chen made highly successful state visits to the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, The Gambia, Burkina Faso, and Chad from August 14 through August 25, 2000. In his October 10, 2000 National Day Message, President Chen announced: "The people of Taiwan now stand up. Taiwan is now part of the worldwide trend of democracy and freedom." On June 5, 2001, President Chen returned from his second trip to the Americas. During these 16 days, he visited heads-of-state in Honduras, Paraguay, Panama, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and made transit stops in the United States, where he held historic meetings with several US congressmen and senators. In August 2001, President Chen convened the Economic Development Advisory Conference (EDAC), consisting of representatives from all sectors of society. The EDAC reached a total of 322 points of consensus on revitalizing Taiwan's economy, promoting cross-strait and international relations, and preparing for WTO accession. President Chen was awarded the 2001 Prize for Freedom by Liberal International. Although he was unable to travel to France due to Beijing's interference, First Lady Wu Shu-jen accepted the prize on his behalf in Strasbourg on November 14, 2001. In his "Meeting Challenges, Moving Forward" New Year's address on January 1, 2002, President Chen emphasized that national unity in times of uncertainty is essential to the continuation of peace, stability, and prosperity for the people of Taiwan. Copyright (C) July 2002, Government Information Office. All rights reserved. Site design by L.F. Lee Best viewed with Netscape 4.x or IE 5.x (medium font) at 800 x 600 True Color (32 bit) resolution