Chen Shui-bian

Political Figure / President of Taiwan

Chen is a populist progressive who rose from a poor family to become president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Chen's "father was a poor sugarcane factory worker and [his] mother was an illiterate day laborer," according to a 2004 story in the Associated Press. Chen studied law and became a maritime lawyer, but was pulled toward politics when he defended political dissidents jailed by Taiwan's martial-law government. He himself served eight months in prison in 1986-87 for criticizing the government. Martial law ended in 1987, and Chen was elected as a member of Taiwan's parliament (1989) and then as mayor of Taipei (1994). A charismatic speaker with a reputation for vigorous action, Chen was criticized by some for being strong-headed and autocratic, and he was defeated in the mayoral race of 1998. He ran for president as a member of the Democratic Progressive Party in 2000, advocating a "new middle way" emphasizing national security and progressive themes. His first term was marked by tensions with China, which firmly disapproved of Taiwan's more independent path under Chen. Chen was re-elected in March of 2004, narrowly defeating Nationalist Party candidate Lien Chan only days after surviving an apparent (and later much-disputed) assassination attempt during a campaign motorcade. Chen was inaugurated for his second four-year term on 20 May 2004.

Extra credit: Chen's popular nickname is A-bian... His exact birthdate is unknown. According to his government biography, "Because [Chen] was very weak as an infant, the family did not register his birth with the local census bureau until 1951. Thus, his identification certificate shows his date of birth as February 18, 1951"... He married Wu Shu-jen in 1975; they have two children. Chen's wife was paralyzed in the lower body after she was hit by a truck while campaigning with her husband in 1985.

Chen and his vice president, Annette Lu, were shot and wounded while campaigning for reelection in 2004. For details, see our loop Almost Assassinated.

Other well-known figures from the Republic of China: Chiang Kai-shek and Chu Mei-feng.