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Ma Ying-jeou

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Ma Ying-jeou is a prominent Taiwanese politician, lawyer, and legal scholar. He served as the sixth president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016.

Ma Ying-jeou in one year old
Ma Ying-jeou in one year old

Ma is a member of the Kuomintang (KMT), which is a major political party in Taiwan. Throughout his career, he has held several high-level positions. These include serving as the mayor of Taipei and as the chairman of the KMT. His life has been defined by his work in law and his efforts to manage relations between Taiwan and mainland China.

Ma was born on July 13, 1950, in British Hong Kong. He was born into a prominent waishengren family, which refers to people who moved to Taiwan from mainland China.

Ma Ying-jeou at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum-20230328
Ma Ying-jeou at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum-20230328

His family had deep roots in China, with ancestors tracing back to the Three Kingdoms period. His mother was a well-known civil servant, and his father was a Kuomintang official. Ma was raised in the Catholic faith. He remains the only Taiwanese president to have been a member of the Catholic Church.

His academic journey was very rigorous and focused on the law. After graduating from National Taiwan University in 1972, he served as a lieutenant in the Republic of China Marine Corps.

Taiwan-Marine-OF-1b (cropped horizontally2)
Taiwan-Marine-OF-1b (cropped horizontally2)

Following his military service, he moved to the United States for advanced legal studies. He earned a Master of Laws from New York University in 1976.

馬英九 NTU Graduation photo
馬英九 NTU Graduation photo

Later, in 1981, he earned a Doctor of Juridical Science from Harvard University.

Langdell Hall, Harvard Law School
Langdell Hall, Harvard Law School

His doctoral research specifically examined legal problems regarding seabed boundaries and foreign investment in the East China Sea.

Ma's political rise began through his work with President Chiang Ching-kuo. He served as the President's personal English secretary and interpreter. At age 38, he became the youngest cabinet member in history when he was named chair of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission. In 1993, he was appointed Minister of Justice. During this time, he launched aggressive campaigns against corruption and illegal drugs.

2006INGTaipeiMarathon-078
2006INGTaipeiMarathon-078

His dedication to honesty earned him the nickname "Mr. Clean" among the public. However, his hardline stance against political corruption caused friction within his own party.

After his time in the cabinet, Ma transitioned to local government. He served as the mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006.

馬總統在士林夜市 - panoramio
馬總統在士林夜市 - panoramio

In the 2008 presidential election, he won a landslide victory over the Democratic Progressive Party nominee. This victory allowed him to lead the nation during a period of significant change. His presidency was largely characterized by a policy of fostering closer cross-strait relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). He initiated several high-level summits between the two sides to encourage dialogue.

One of the most significant economic milestones of his presidency occurred in 2010. Ma signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with the PRC. This agreement was designed to increase economic interaction between the two regions. While his presidency saw many diplomatic successes, it also faced domestic challenges. In 2014, the Sunflower Student Movement protests occurred, which impacted the reputation of the KMT. These events eventually led to his resignation as the party chairman.

ROC 2008 Presidential Election Township level (2)
ROC 2008 Presidential Election Township level (2)

Despite the political shifts, Ma achieved a historic diplomatic moment in 2015. He participated in the Ma–Xi meeting in Singapore.

2015 Ma–Xi Meeting 08
2015 Ma–Xi Meeting 08

This event was significant because it was the first meeting between the leaders of the PRC and the ROC since the Chinese Civil War. After completing his two terms as president in 2016, Ma returned to academia. He became a law professor at Soochow University. He continues to remain an active figure in the political landscape of Taiwan today.

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🖼️ Images & Media (27)
File:Taiwan-Marine-OF-1b (cropped horizontally2).svg
Taiwan-Marine-OF-1b (cropped horizontally2).svg
File:Ma Ying-jeou in one year old.gif
Ma Ying-jeou in one year old.gif
File:馬英九 NTU Graduation photo.jpg
馬英九 NTU Graduation photo.jpg
File:Langdell Hall, Harvard Law School.jpg
Langdell Hall, Harvard Law School.jpg
File:2006INGTaipeiMarathon-078.jpg
2006INGTaipeiMarathon-078.jpg
VOA專訪馬英九200603.webm
File:馬總統在士林夜市 - panoramio.jpg
馬總統在士林夜市 - panoramio.jpg
File:080321 - 馬英九 (2348700429).jpg
080321 - 馬英九 (2348700429).jpg
File:ROC 2008 Presidential Election Township level (2).svg
ROC 2008 Presidential Election Township...
File:YouTube 2024.svg
YouTube 2024.svg
File:Vice President Vincent Siew, President Ma Ying-jeou, and Premier Wu Den-yih at the press conference to mark second anniversary of inauguration 20100524.jpg
Vice President Vincent Siew, President Ma...
File:2015 Ma–Xi Meeting 08.jpg
2015 Ma–Xi Meeting 08.jpg

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