Ma Ying-jeou

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Ma Ying-jeou (Template:Lang-zh; pinyin: Mǎ Yīngjiǔ; Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell;<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> born 13 July 1950) is a Taiwanese politician, lawyer, and legal scholar who served as the sixth president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. A member of the Kuomintang (KMT), he was previously the mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006 and the chairman of the Kuomintang for two terms (2005–2007; 2009–2014).

Ma was born in British Hong Kong to a prominent waishengren family. After graduating from National Taiwan University, he served in the Republic of China Marine Corps and attained the rank of lieutenant. He then studied law in the United States, earning a master's degree from New York University in 1976 and his doctorate from Harvard University in 1981, both in international law.

Ma began his political career as a bureau director and English translator for President Chiang Ching-kuo. From 1988 to 1996, he held office first as chair of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, becoming the youngest cabinet member at age 38, and then as head of the Ministry of Justice, where he launched anti-corruption and anti-drug campaigns. In the 1998 Taipei mayoral election, he successfully ran against incumbent Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). During his mayoralty, he was elected as KMT chairman in 2005 and announced his candidacy in the 2008 Taiwanese presidential election, eventually defeating DPP nominee Frank Hsieh in a landslide majority.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Ma's presidency was defined by closer cross-strait relations with mainland China. He initiated a series of cross-strait summits (2008–2015), was elected again as party chairman in 2009, and signed the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement with the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 2010. After defeating Tsai Ing-wen and being reelected in 2012, his second term saw the September 2013 power struggle and the Sunflower Student Movement protests damage party reputation in the 2014 elections, leading to his resignation as KMT chair. Subsequently, he held the 2015 Ma–Xi meeting in Singapore, marking the first meeting between the leaders of the PRC and ROC since the Chinese Civil War. After leaving the presidency in 2016, Ma became a law professor at Soochow University and has remained active in KMT politics.

Early life and education

Ma as an infant

Ma was born in Kwong Wah Hospital in Yau Ma Tei,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kowloon, British Hong Kong, on 13 July 1950.<ref>Template:Harvnb; Template:Harvnb.</ref>Template:Refn In a family of five children, he was the fourth child and the only son.<ref>Template:Citation.</ref> They were an upper-class, prominent political family in Taiwan.Template:Sfn Their ancestral home was in Fufeng, Shaanxi Province; Ma's ancestors had migrated from Shaanxi to Jiangxi and then finally to Hunan.<ref>Template:Harvnb; Template:Harvnb.</ref> Among his earliest ancestors was the Chinese general Ma Chao (176–222), who rose to fame in the Three Kingdoms period and was immortalized in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.Template:Sfn

Ma's mother, Template:Ill (秦厚修; 1922–2014), was a well-known civil servant who was born to a highly educated Chinese family, attended a prestigious school in Changsha, and graduated from National Chengchi University.<ref name=":12">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Sfn His father, Ma Ho-ling (馬鶴凌; 1920–2005), was born in Xiangtan and joined the Kuomintang and its youth army in 1941.Template:Sfn The couple met as classmates during the Second Sino-Japanese War.<ref name=":12" /> Ho-ling moved to Taiwan in 1949 during the Great Retreat but briefly returned to mainland China, where he moved the family from Chongqing to Hong Kong.Template:Sfn In October 1951, Ho-ling finally immigrated with the family to Taiwan, where he worked as a mid-rank Kuomintang official.Template:Sfn

Ma is of Hakka ancestry and speaks Hakka Chinese.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was a one year old infant when the family moved to Taiwan.Template:Sfn Since the family was Catholic,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> he was raised in the Catholic faith.<ref name="SE">Template:Cite web</ref> While growing up in Taiwan in the 1950s, Ma attended Catholic services and went with his grandmother every Sunday to Catholic mass and confession.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> At age eight, he was reportedly baptised a Catholic at a Catholic church in Hong Kong.<ref name=":2" /> He also received a baptism at Resurrection church on Dali Street in Taipei near the Huaxi Street Night Market,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and remains the only Taiwanese president to have been a member of the Catholic Church.Template:Sfn

Because he was the family's only son, Ma was pressured to succeed academically by his father, who insisted that he study the Chinese classics, master Chinese calligraphy, and practice track and field.<ref name=":1" /> In 1966, while a high school student, Ma decided to study law in college after being advised by his father to pursue a career similar to that of diplomat Wellington Koo.Template:Sfn After graduating from Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School, he joined the KMT in June 1968 and became a young activist for the party.Template:Sfn He passed with high marks on the General Scholastic Ability Test and was admitted to National Taiwan University (NTU) to study law, enrolling in September 1968.<ref>Template:Harvnb; Template:Harvnb.</ref>

College and law school

Ma in 1972, a law student at National Taiwan University

As an undergraduate student at NTU, Ma was the leader of a small KMT student group, became secretary-general of the university's student council, and encountered the baodiao movement.Template:Sfn In his third year at the university, he was selected by the United States Department of State to travel to the U.S. as a student leader for its International Visitors Program and stayed in the country for 70 days from January 1971 to March 1971.Template:Sfn Ma traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, and resided with an American family in San Francisco for three weeks. He visited 20 universities, including the University of Chicago, Harvard University, Georgetown University, and the University of Texas at Austin.Template:Sfn Upon returning to Taiwan, he led student groups at NTU to march to the American Institute in Taiwan and the Japan–Taiwan Exchange Association in Taipei in protest of Japanese involvement in the Senkaku Islands dispute.Template:Sfn

In 1972, Ma graduated from National Taiwan University with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree.<ref name="bio">Template:Cite web</ref> After graduation, he was conscripted into the Republic of China Marine CorpsTemplate:Sfn and was stationed in Zuoying District.Template:Sfn After serving two years in the navy, Ma was awarded the KMT's Sun Yat-sen ScholarshipTemplate:Refn in 1974 to complete graduate studies in the United States, which he used at New York University (NYU) and then at Harvard University.Template:Sfn In 1976, he earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree specializing in international law from the New York University School of Law,Template:Sfn where he studied public international law under professor Thomas M. Franck and aviation law under professor Andreas Lowenfeld.Template:Sfn George Zeitlin, the associate dean at NYU, recognized Ma at graduation for an "outstanding academic record and performance".Template:Sfn

Upon completing his master's degree at NYU, Ma enrolled in Harvard Law School as a doctoral student studying under professors Louis B. Sohn, Jerome A. Cohen, and Harold J. Berman.Template:Sfn As he completed his doctorate, he attended congressional hearings at the U.S. Congress and served as the editor-in-chief of Free Chinese Monthly, an anti-communist Chinese-language magazine published in Boston.Template:Sfn He was also involved as an editor of the Harvard Environmental Law Review,<ref name=":7" /> and did research under Judge Richard Reeve Baxter at the International Court of Justice.<ref name=":4" /> He was Harvard classmates with Taiwanese vice-president Annette Lu in 1978, diplomat Stephen Orlins,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and legal scholar William Alford.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> Professor Cohen at Harvard, Ma's teacher and mentor, recalled: "he was a brilliant student".<ref name=":8" />

Ma studied at Harvard Law School (pictured in 2024), earning his doctorate in law in 1981 under professors Louis Sohn and Detlev Vagts.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1981, Ma received Harvard's most advanced law degree, a Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.),Template:Sfn with a specialization in ocean law and international economic law.<ref name="bio" /> His dissertation, completed in December 1980 under the supervision of Sohn and Detlev F. Vagts, was titled, "Trouble over Oily Waters: Legal Problems of Seabed Boundaries and Foreign Investment in the East China Sea".Template:Refn<ref name=":4">Template:Cite journal</ref> The doctoral thesis analyzed Sino-Japanese sovereignty conflicts over the Senkaku Islands,Template:Sfn focusing on the issue of oil extraction in the East China Sea.<ref name=":7" />

Early career and rise in politics (1981–1996)

After earning his doctorate, Ma worked as an associate attorney for the Wall Street law firm of Cole and Deitz, a legal consultant for the First National Bank of Boston, and as a researcher at the University of Maryland Law School, all from 1980 to 1981.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> As a researcher at the University of Maryland, College Park under Taiwanese law professor Hungdah Chiu,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Ma published some academic papers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Articles he wrote in Taiwanese newspapers on communism and Taiwan–United States relations attracted the attention of President Chiang Ching-kuo.Template:Sfn In September 1981,Template:Sfn Ma returned to Taiwan and was introduced by Fredrick Chien to President Chiang Ching-kuo, who appointed Ma as his personal English secretary and interpreter.Template:Sfn That same year, he became an adjunct associate professor of law at National Chengchi University, a role he remained in until 1998.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Ma concurrently served as deputy director of the First Bureau of the Presidential Office.<ref name=":5" /> In 1982, he was named the senior secretary of the Office of the President at the Presidential Office Building.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

At age 38, Ma was named the chairman of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission under the Executive Yuan—the cabinet's youngest-ever appointee.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He would go on to serve as deputy head of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), a cabinet office responsible for managing Taiwan's relationship with mainland China.Template:Sfn For his administrative experience and close ties with Chiang, Ma was appointed to multiple KMT party positions after 1984: director of the Mainland Tasks Committee (1988), deputy secretary general of the KMT Central Committee (1990), deputy director of the KMT National Unification Committee (1991), and KMT representative to the National Assembly.Template:Sfn In 1987, Chiang tasked Ma to produce a memorandum regarding allowing Taiwanese citizens family visits to China; after it was completed, the report was received favorably by high-ranking KMT officials and implemented. At the time of Chiang's death in 1988, Ma was leading reform efforts regarding censorship in Taiwan.Template:Sfn

In 1993, Ma received national attention when President Lee Teng-hui and Premier Lien Chan appointed him as Minister of Justice.<ref name=":6">Template:Harvnb; Template:Harvnb.</ref> At age 43, he was considered a "handsome new official" whose dynamism made him a "darling of public opinion".Template:Sfn He initiated hardline policies of prosecuting corruption, power abuse, and political scandals, drawing criticism from KMT party officials, some of whom were involved in, and reliant on, local corruption.Template:Sfn Among the anti-corruption programs instituted was the "Taking the Knife to Corruption" plan centered on a doctrine of "incorruptibility and ability" in government.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> KMT officials complained that he "shook the foundations of the party" as 341 of 883 elected councilmen in 1994 were indicted for buying votes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His campaigns against vote buying while in office earned him the nickname "Mr. Clean".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, he began an anti-drug campaign and organized the ministry to restrict narcotics.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ma built a reputation for honesty as head of the Ministry of Justice due to "frequently jailing politicians, including candidates for elective office, for vote-buying and other corrupt practices".Template:Sfn As a result of his tough on crime approach, Ma lost party support and was relieved of the position in 1996, becoming a minister without portfolio.<ref name=":6" /> He decided to return to academia afterwards and accepted another teaching position at National Chengchi University.<ref>Template:Harvnb.</ref> When he left office, Ma was one of the most popular politicians in Taiwan (alongside his ministerial successor, Liao Cheng-hao) and, according to one poll, 76.5% of respondents saw him "playing a major political role within the next two years".Template:Sfn

Mayor of Taipei (1998–2006)

Election (1998)

The 1997 Taiwanese local elections saw the Kuomintang lose a majority of their counties and cities to the Democratic Progressive Party, largely due to the efforts of Chen Shui-bian, Taipei's incumbent mayor, to travel extensively from each county and city for campaigns. Faced with a political crisis, the KMT nominated the popular Ma as its 1998 candidate for the Taipei mayoralty against Chen.Template:Sfn Ma ran on a platform of making Taipei a corruption-free "world class city" and used an image of a jogger—a representation of his penchant for jogging and charity work—as the symbol of his campaign.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn He received the support of incumbent president Lee Teng-hui, who campaigned for Ma and promoted him as a "new Taiwanese" who "loves Taiwan and promotes its interests regardless of his or her place of birth".Template:Sfn Ma's campaign slogan was "Taiwan First, Taipei First".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Despite Chen's high public approval rating, Ma won the 1998 Taipei mayoral election with 51.13 percent of the vote, compared to Chen's 45.91 percent share, aided with an undivided KMT conservative voting bloc (as it had been divided with the New Party in the 1994 Taiwanese local elections).<ref>Template:Harvnb; Template:Harvnb.</ref> Voter turnout was high, averaging 80 percent.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The victory was a setback for both the DPP and for Chen's potential candidacy in the 2000 presidential election.<ref name=":0" /> The election saw the Hong Kong-born Ma overcome a popular bias against "mainlanders" (waishengren), a group sometimes resented by native Taiwanese.<ref name=":0" /> Ma's victory over Chen was also received positively by U.S. and Chinese officials, and the KMT won a legislative majority that year with 123 out of 225 seats.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Mayoralty

Mayor Ma at the 2006 Taipei Marathon

From 1998 to 2002, Ma's mayoralty of Taipei saw partnerships with private, civil, and media groups to expand and update the city's public transport, utilities, and public buildings, including the construction of six high-speed railways and six highway bridges to lessen traffic congestion.Template:Sfn Heavy investments to improve public health, environmental protection, public education, and infrastructure in Taipei contributed to his high popularity in Taipei, which also experienced a decline in corruption.<ref>Template:Harvnb; Template:Harvnb.</ref> He was elected a member of the standing committee of the KMT in 2001.Template:Sfn In December 2002, Ma won reelection for a second mayoral term, defeating DPP nominee Lee Ying-yuan in a landslide, with a 64.1 percent vote majority compared to Lee's 35.8 percent share.<ref name=":9">Template:Cite news</ref> He was highly popular among both KMT voters and People First Party voters.Template:Sfn Support was strongest for Ma among young and middle-age party voters.<ref name=":9" /> His landslide victory over Lee in Taipei made him an emerging KMT candidate for presidential nomination.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>File:VOA專訪馬英九200603.webmDuring his second term, the slow response of the Taipei government to the 2003 SARS outbreak and a banking scandal that implicated Ma damaged his reputation, although charges against him were dropped in the latter scandal involving Taipei Bank.Template:Sfn His popularity rebounded when he criticized the 2004 Taiwanese cross-strait relations referendum, opposed the passing of the PRC's Anti-Secession Law, and supported anti-communist protests in Taiwan commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.Template:Sfn He won election to become a vice chairman of the Kuomintang in 2003 and ran in the party's 2005 chairmanship election, defeating Wang Jin-pyng, the president of the Legislative Yuan, with a 72.36 percent majority.<ref>Template:Harvnb; Template:Harvnb.</ref>

Ma campaigning in 2007 at Shilin Night Market

During his tenure as mayor, Ma was positively viewed for his reputation for incorruptibility. But beginning in September 2006, he was prosecuted on charges of mishandling a US$338,000 special mayoral allowance fund.<ref name=":10" /> The corruption case dominated news coverage towards the end of 2006, just as Ma was exiting the mayoralty.<ref name=":10">Template:Cite journal</ref> The Taipei high court prosecutor's office alleged that he illegally transferred a portion of the funds into his personal account.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":11">Template:Cite news</ref> Ma was indicted by the Taipei prosecutor's office on February 12, 2007. On the same day, he announced his candidacy in the 2008 Taiwanese presidential election.<ref name=":11" /> In accordance with party rules which prohibit an indicted person from serving as KMT chairman, Ma resigned from the Kuomintang chairmanship, although party members encouraged him to stay.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":11" /> The case ended on August 14, 2007, when Ma was found not guilty and was cleared of all charges by the Taipei District Court, allowing him to enter the presidential race.Template:Refn<ref name=":10" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Throughout the affair, his popularity remained high as a majority of voters believed the charges to be politically motivated.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

2007–2008 presidential campaign

Ma campaigning for president in Taipei, March 2008

On May 2, 2007, Ma was nominated as the Kuomintang's 2008 presidential nominee.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He initially considered Wang Jin-pyng, his former opponent in the KMT chairmanship race, as his running mate but, in late May, Wang declined.Template:Sfn Instead, Ma announced on June 23, 2007, that he had chosen former premier and economic minister Vincent Siew as his vice-presidential running mate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Results of the 2008 Taiwanese presidential election

Ma and Siew primarily campaigned on economic and foreign policy issues, including fostering closer relations with mainland China and improving Taiwan's economic situation by increasing cross-strait trade and investment.Template:Sfn Ma advocated a "6-3-3 plan" of increasing GDP growth to 6 percent annually, reducing unemployment to 3 percent by implementing 12 infrastructure projects totaling US$130 billion, and increasing the GDP per capita to US$30,000. He and Siew advocated lowering taxes and addressing wage stagnation, inflation, and economic inequality.Template:Sfn In foreign policy, Ma advocated "Three Noes": no formal independence, no unification, and no use of force.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their DPP opponents were former premiers Frank Hsieh—a pragmatist in dealing with cross-strait relations—and Su Tseng-chang.Template:Sfn Both Hsieh and Ma were adherents to keeping the status quo between China and Taiwan,Template:Sfn with Ma more willing to communicate with Beijing officials.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On March 22, 2008 (election day), Ma defeated Hsieh in a landslide victory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Out of 13,221,609 votes cast (a voter turnout of 76.33 percent), Ma received a clear majority of 7,658,724 votes (58.45 percent) compared to Hsieh's 5,445,239 (41.55 percent),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the most votes received by any presidential candidate in Taiwanese history.Template:Sfn The Ma-Siew ticket flipped multiple traditionally DPP electoral districts, including Kaohsiung City (where Hsieh had been mayor) and Tainan City (near the birthplace of Chen Shui-bian).Template:Sfn Districts with large Hakka and aboriginal Taiwanese populations showed the highest levels of support for Ma.Template:Sfn The result of the presidential election marked an end to eight years of DPP control in the presidency, returning it to the KMT.Template:Sfn

Presidency (2008–2016)

Template:Main

Template:External mediaThe overwhelming victory in the 2008 presidential election gave Ma political mandate to make changes in Taiwan.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He was inaugurated as president on May 20, 2008, and sworn into office by Lai In-jaw, the acting head of the Judicial Yuan, with Chow Mei-ching and former president Chen Shui-bian in attendance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ma's inauguration speech repeated his promises to establish closer economic and diplomatic ties with mainland China without unification.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That same month, Time magazine listed Ma as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He won another landslide in the KMT chairmanship election in July for a second term as chair,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> winning with over 90 percent of the vote in July 2009 as the sole candidate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was inaugurated as chairman on October 17, 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2012 presidential election

Eligible for a second term, Ma ran for reelection as president in 2012. After incumbent Vice President Vincent Siew announced his retirement and decision not to seek a second term, Premier Wu Den-yih was chosen to replace Siew on the KMT's 2012 ticket.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ma was re-elected president with 51.6% of the vote, defeating Democratic Progressive Party chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The ruling party also retained its majority in the legislative elections held on the same day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

President Ma with Vice President Vincent Siew (left) and Premier Wu Den-yih (right)

Cross-strait relations

Template:See also After his success in the presidential election, Ma Ying-jeou said he had no immediate plans to visit mainland China and would work to fulfill his campaign pledge to improve relations with mainland China.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He proposed a policy of "Flexible Diplomacy" in foreign affairs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Instead of confronting the PRC in every international encounter, Ma aimed to build a certain degree of mutual trust across the Taiwan Strait, which could later be extended to the international stage. In August 2008, Ma undertook his first foreign trip as president, focusing on strengthening relations with Taiwan's Latin American allies.<ref>"Taiwan president heads to Latin America, via US". AFP. Retrieved 14 August 2008.</ref><ref>"Taiwan's President Ma departs for three-country Latin America tour" Template:Webarchive. Earth Times. Retrieved 14 August 2008.</ref> In 2009, Taiwan received an invitation from the World Health Organization (WHO) to attend the annual World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting as an observer under the name "Chinese Taipei."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Based on the 1992 Consensus, semi-official cross-strait talks between the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), resumed in June 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ma launched direct weekend cross-strait charter flights, opened Taiwan to mainland Chinese tourists, eased restrictions on Taiwanese investment in mainland China and approved measures allowing mainland Chinese investors to buy Taiwan stocks.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Time magazine noted that in less than three months, "relations between Taiwan and China have arguably seen the most rapid advancement in the six-decade standoff between the two governments."

After the second Chen–Chiang summit, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland resumed direct sea, air, and mail links on 15 December 2008, ending an almost six-decade-long ban between the two sides on such trips.<ref>Sun, Yu-huay; Tang, Eugene (15 December 2008). Taiwan, China Start Direct Links as Relations Improve Template:Webarchive. Bloomberg L.P.</ref><ref>China, Taiwan reopen regular links Template:Webarchive. CNN. 14 December 2008.</ref> As many as 108 flights per week as well as 60 cargo flights per month were scheduled, evenly divided between Taiwanese and mainland Chinese airlines.<ref>Chinese mainland, Taiwan start direct transport, mail services Template:Webarchive. VietNamNet. 15 December 2008.</ref><ref>McDonald, Mark (15 December 2008). Direct flights between China and Taiwan begin Template:Webarchive. The New York Times.</ref><ref>Sui, Cindy (15 December 2008). Daily China-Taiwan flights begin . BBC News.</ref> Shipping companies, due to shorter voyages and time savings, are able to save up to US$120 million (TWD $4 billion) each year. The two sides also agreed that neither the ROC nor the PRC flag will be displayed when a ship enters port.<ref>UPDATE: Taiwan President Hails China Transport Links Template:Webarchive. Alibaba.com. 17 December 2008.</ref> In July 2009, Ma rejected the proposal to open the airspace of the Taiwan Strait to accommodate higher passenger traffic, citing that the Taiwan Strait airspace is important to Taiwanese security.<ref>Defense ministry opposed to flights across Taiwan Strait middle line Template:Webarchive. China Post. 6 July 2009.</ref>

A free trade agreement with China was signed in 2010 called the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), which was accompanied by a debate and protests. Ma attempted to pass the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement in his second term, building on the ECFA. This sparked the Sunflower Student Movement, initiated by a coalition of students and civic groups in the Legislative Yuan and later also the Executive Yuan.<ref name="NYT-Ramsey">Template:Cite news</ref>

Ma Ying-jeou meeting with Mainland top leader Xi Jinping in November 2015, in their respective capacity as the leader of Taiwan and mainland China.

On 7 November 2015, Ma met and shook hands with the Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping in Singapore within their capacity as Leader of Taiwan and Leader of mainland China respectively.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The meeting marked the first ever meeting between leaders of both sides since the end of Chinese Civil War in 1949. Both leaders addressed each other using the honorific xiānshēng (Chinese: Template:Lang-zh, "Mister").

Domestic policy

Economy

One of Ma's promises as presidential candidate was called the "633 Plan", which promised economic growth rate of 6%, unemployment rate of less than 3%, and per capita income of more than US$30,000. However, the Great Recession around the world caused about 2,000 companies in Taiwan to go bankrupt in the six months following Ma's inauguration, according to a governmental commercial office in Taipei.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the time, the high unemployment rate (~4.06% in July) and consumer price index<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> three months after Ma's inauguration were unprecedented, having not been seen in 28 years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Taiwan Stock Exchange also fell to two-year lows in September 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Financial Times describes Taiwan's economic downturn as results from "downward pressure driven by global factors". Analysts also point out that, "during its first 100 days in office, the government has made a series of bold steps to deregulate economic cross-strait ties. But as these policies coincided with the global downturn and foreign investors had already bought Taiwan stocks heavily before the election, betting on the reforms, the island's market has seen a sell-off worse than the regional average."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 11 September 2008, Ma's cabinet unveiled a $5.6-billion USD ($180-billion TWD) economic stimulus package. Among the items of the package were infrastructure projects, economic incentives to small businesses, and other tax cuts. Stock transaction taxes were also halved for the next six months.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Taiwan's government reported that the economy shrank by 1% in the third quarter and further contracted 8.36% in the last quarter of 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although growth resumed in the fourth quarter of 2009, the economy still shrank by 1.87% for the year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2010, Taiwan's economy rebounded strongly, expanding by 10%.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Disaster response

Typhoon Morakot, the worst typhoon to strike Taiwan in fifty years, hit Taiwan on 8 August 2009. In the storm's aftermath, President Ma was criticized for his handling of the disaster by both sides of Taiwan's political spectrum. Many news outlets likened Typhoon Morakot to being Ma's "Hurricane Katrina."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Multiple opinion polls in Taiwan showed a sharp double-digit drop in Ma's approval rating, with figures falling to between 16% and 29%.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Following pressure from the opposition, Ma took steps to publicly apologize for his government's failure to respond swiftly with rescue and recovery efforts. Ma canceled the 2009 National Day celebrations and his state visit to the Solomon Islands for the Third Taiwan-South Pacific summit.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Premier Liu Chao-shiuan, Defense Minister Chen Chao-min, and Vice Foreign Minister Andrew Hsia all tendered their resignations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Wu Den-yih was appointed as the new premier, and the cabinet underwent a reshuffle.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Party politics

In September 2013, President Ma accused Speaker Wang Jin-pyng of influence peddling, resulting in a power struggle.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following the KMT's unprecedented loss in the 2014 local elections, Ma resigned as KMT chairman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The KMT lost its majority in the Legislative Yuan during the final period of Ma's presidency, and Ma eventually handed over power to opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Post-presidency

Ma meeting with U.S. Senator Cory Gardner during his 2017 visit to the United States

On 1 June 2016, it was announced that Ma planned to visit Hong Kong on 15 June to attend the 2016 Award for Editorial Excellence dinner at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and would deliver a speech on cross-strait relations and East Asia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Tsai Ing-wen administration blocked Ma from traveling to Hong Kong,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and he gave prepared remarks via teleconference instead.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In August 2016, Soochow University confirmed that Ma had rejoined the faculty as a lecturer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 26 September 2016, Ma gave his first lecture which was about the history of Taiwan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Yet, as a chair professor of law, Ma was protested by students at Soochow University to ask for his resignation since he has repeatedly issued controversial legal opinions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In November 2016, Ma attended the World Chinese Economic Summit in Malacca, Malaysia, where he also served as one of the speakers. It was his first overseas visit since leaving office.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Since 2016, Ma has made multiple visits to the United States, during which he delivered speeches at academic institutions and policy forums.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In Taiwanese politics, Ma established the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, named after himself, and personally served as its chairman in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The foundation aims to identify the right path for the nation and to help young people find direction for their future.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He served as a witness during the negotiations between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) to form a joint presidential ticket for the 2024 election;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> however, the talks ultimately collapsed without an agreement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ma paying respects at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, March 2023

In 2023, Ma became the first ROC leader to visit mainland China since the civil war of 1949, with a trip slated for 27 March to 7 April, pledging peace between the two countries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The trip comes amidst rising tension between mainland China and Taiwan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ma visited China twice in 2024, during which he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2025, he visited mainland China again to attend the annual Straits Forum in Xiamen, Fujian. He met with Wang Huning, the deputy leader of the Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs and the Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Political positions

View on Chinese unification

In a December 2005 Newsweek International interview, when asked about unification, Ma stated that "for our party, the eventual goal is reunification, but we don't have a timetable."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In February 2006, Ma published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal titled Taiwan's 'Pragmatic Path'.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the article, Ma stated that neither unification nor independence was likely for Taiwan in the foreseeable future and that the status quo should be maintained. He emphasized that the island's future should be determined by its people, rather than the government. During the same month, while visiting Europe, the KMT ran an advertisement in the Liberty Times with the same title, asserting that Taiwan's future could take many possible directions—be it unification, independence, or maintaining the status quo—and that such decisions must be made by the people.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The advertisement, which stated that independence is an option for the people of Taiwan, sparked criticism within the party and raised concerns in the PRC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Wang Jin-pyng felt gratified for the policy shift, since Wang himself made a similar statement during the 2004 election, but James Soong said he was "shocked" and Lien Chan said he was never consulted.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ma clarified later that the KMT policy of retaining the status quo has not changed and has reiterated this position several times;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> further, he has also reiterated his party's support of the one-China policy.<ref name="taipeitimes2006">Template:Cite news</ref>

Ma supported autonomy for Tibet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 17 March 2008, Ma threatened to boycott the Beijing Olympics if elected, should the Tibetan unrest spiral out of control.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After he was elected president, he refused to let the Dalai Lama visit Taiwan, citing the timing as inappropriate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He later approved a visit by the Dalai Lama to lead prayers for Typhoon Morakot victims in August 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

President Ma Ying-jeou paying homage to the Yellow Emperor in 2015

In April 2009, President Ma became the first ROC president to pay homage in person to the legendary Yellow Emperor who is believed to have founded China as a nation approximately 5,000 years ago. Accompanied by all his government leaders, the president sang the ROC's national anthem as the starter.<ref name="chinapost.com.tw">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Thomson_2024-04-04">Template:Cite news</ref> Ma's spokesman said the president wanted to pay his respects to the Yellow Emperor on National Tomb-Sweeping Day in person to stress the importance of the Chinese ancestor-worshipping tradition. However, others saw the precedent-making ceremonies at the Martyrs' Shrine as meant to be a show by President Ma of his unprofessed commitment to maintain a close relationship between Taiwan and mainland China.<ref name="chinapost.com.tw" /> During his time at the tomb of the Yellow Emperor, Ma said that most Taiwanese people have a strong belief in Chinese culture and national identity.<ref name="Thomson_2024-04-04"/>

In June 2025, Ma told United Daily News that his position is that "the two sides of the strait should pursue peaceful and democratic unification". He also said unification should not be achieved with "the use or threat of force and must "respect the will of the people of Taiwan".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Cross-strait relations

Ma Ying-jeou emphasizing the existence of the 1992 Consensus

Ma Ying-jeou has emphasized the "1992 Consensus" as the existing basis for constructive dialogue and exchange between mainland China and Taiwan. On 2 September 2008, Ma declared that the relations between Taiwan and mainland China were a "special relationship not between two nations", but one that can be handled invoking the 1992 Consensus between the two sides.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While the governing authorities on mainland China and Taiwan cannot recognise each other as a legitimate government due to legal and constitutional reasons, Ma seeks that they would refrain from denying the other side being the de facto governing authority of one area of the state.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2006, Ma Ying-jeou proposed the "Five Noes" to maintain the status quo, which largely reiterated the content of Chen Shui-bian's "Four Noes and One Without."<ref name="taipeitimes2006"/> During a visit to the United States in March 2006, Ma further articulated a proactive strategy for cross-strait relations, termed the "Five Do's."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> These initiatives included: resuming cross-strait dialogue based on the 1992 Consensus; signing a peace agreement and establishing a mechanism for mutual military trust; creating a joint cross-strait market; enhancing Taiwan's participation in the international community; and strengthening cultural and educational exchanges.

Ma consistently expressed concern over the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre and supported democratization in China.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, prior to the 20th anniversary, he postponed and eventually canceled a scheduled meeting with Wang Dan, a former student leader of the 1989 protests.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ma also received criticism from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party for allegedly praising the PRC on human rights during the anniversary commemorations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ma voiced support for the acceptance of simplified Chinese for written text and the continued use of traditional Chinese for printed text.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ma had to clarify his remarks regarding simplified characters at a 15-minute speech before the sixth International Conference on Internet Chinese Education on 19 June 2009. Ma reiterated his policy of urging the Chinese to learn the traditional system; his previous call was for the ability of Taiwan's population to recognize simplified characters and not for simplified characters to supplant the traditional system in Taiwan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a 2004 speech hosted by Microsoft Taiwan, he had proposed for traditional characters (Template:Lang-zh; literally: complicated characters) to be instead called 'orthodox characters' (Template:Lang-zh) (then the translation 'traditional Chinese characters' would be more appropriate as well).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ma advocated the use of Hanyu Pinyin, developed in the PRC, and made it the official romanization system in Taiwan in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

East China Sea and South China Sea

Ma Ying-jeou supports the Republic of China's sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands and opposes their inclusion under the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2012, he proposed the "East China Sea Peace Initiative," urging all parties to exercise restraint, resolve disputes peacefully, and jointly develop resources in the region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2014, Ma received the Eisenhower Medallion from People to People International for his efforts in the initiative.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2015, Ma introduced the "South China Sea Peace Initiative," advocating for the peaceful resolution of disputes and the joint development of resources in the South China Sea.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following year, he visited Taiping Island to reaffirm the ROC's sovereignty over the territory and its status as an island.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal life

President Ma and his wife, Chow Mei-ching, during an overseas visit in 2009

Ma married Christine Mei-ching Chow, a classmate of his sister at New York University,Template:Sfn in 1977.Template:Sfn The couple has two daughters: Lesley and Yuan-chung.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lesley (Ma Wei-chung, Chinese: Template:Lang-zh) was born in 1981 in New York City while Ma was attending Harvard. She completed her undergraduate studies in life sciences at Harvard University and then her graduate studies at New York University.<ref name="daughters1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="greencard">Template:Cite news</ref> Ma's youngest daughter, Ma Yuan-chung, was born in Taiwan and completed her master's degree at the London School of Economics and earned a doctorate from Nanyang Technological University.<ref name="daughters1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ma and his wife sponsor children of low-income families in El Salvador through World Vision International. On an official trip to Central America in June 2009, Mrs. Ma was able to meet with one of her sponsored children, an 11-year-old boy in San Salvador.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ma is the uncle of Gene Yu, an American, former United States Army Special Forces captain and the author of the Yellow Green Beret: Stories of an Asian-American Stumbling Around U.S. Army Special Forces series of books.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Yu was instrumental in negotiating, locating and working to free Taiwanese citizen Chang An-wei from Abu Sayyaf militants with Filipino special forces and private security contractors in 2013.<ref name="Snatched Tourist Faces Torment in Jungle">Template:Cite news</ref>

Ma speaks Taiwanese Hokkien, Hunanese (his ancestral native dialect),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mandarin (the national language) as well as English fluently.

Honours

See also

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Notes

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References

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Books

Journals

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