Tsai Ing-wen (14th - 15th terms)
President Tsai Ing-wen (1956–) was born in Taipei City, having family roots in Fangshan Township of Pingtung County in southern Taiwan. After earning a Bachelor of Laws degree from National Taiwan University, she studied in the United States and United Kingdom, obtaining a Master of Laws degree from Cornell University Law School and a Ph.D. in Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
After finishing her studies and returning to Taiwan in 1984, President Tsai served as a professor at National Chengchi University and at Soochow University. She later began her tenure as chief legal advisor of Taiwan’s trade negotiation delegation as Taiwan began working on the bid to join the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), eventually acceding to the World Trade Organization (WTO). President Tsai also chaired the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Group on Services of the Committee on Trade and Investment. Her early career gave her a front-row seat to landmark events in the history of Taiwan’s economic transformation.
Beginning in 1999, President Tsai served successively as senior advisor to the National Security Council and chairperson of the Mainland Affairs Council, devoting her efforts to the development of cross-strait relations. In 2004, she joined the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and later became a DPP legislator-at-large. In 2006, she was appointed to serve as vice premier. She was elected as DPP chairperson in 2008, being the first woman to chair a major political party in Taiwan.
She was elected as the nation’s 14th-term president in 2016. The first female head of state in Taiwan’s history, President Tsai was also the first female head of state in Asia who was not born into a political family. In 2020, she was re-elected to serve as the 15th-term president with over 8.17 million votes, the highest total in history.
During President Tsai’s term of office, domestic policy reform helped improve the sustainable development of the pension system for military personnel, public servants, and public school educators, and a budget was allocated to supplement the Labor Insurance Fund. The Long-Term Care Plan 2.0 led to the construction of a community care system designed to respond to challenges brought on by Taiwan’s aging society. To address the nation’s low birth rate, a national childcare policy for ages 0 to 6 was adopted to lessen the burden on parents of young children. And to ensure housing rights for the public, the government implemented social housing policy and measures to promote a healthier real estate market to bring about housing justice.
Significant judicial reform was also carried out in the constitutional litigation, citizen judge, and labor professional court systems. In terms of protecting human rights, President Tsai’s administration systemically advanced work in transitional justice, issuing an official apology to Taiwan’s indigenous peoples on behalf of the government, and promoting both indigenous historical justice and transitional justice. Promulgation of the Act Governing the Settlement of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties and Their Affiliate Organizations, Act on Promoting Transitional Justice, Political Archives Act, and Act to Restore Victim’s Rights Infringed by Illegal Acts of the State During the Period of Authoritarian Rule resulted in the transfer of ill-gotten party assets to the state, the publication of fact-finding investigation reports, and the return of private property confiscated due to injustices committed by the state. President Tsai also promulgated the Act for Implementation of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748, making Taiwan the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. And in the area of culture, promulgation of the Cultural Fundamental Act led to the establishment of a citizen-centered cultural governance model.
Economic development efforts brought significant growth as Taiwan’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose from NT$17.5 trillion to NT$23.5 trillion. Beginning in 2017, implementation of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program enhanced quality of life and spurred overall economic momentum. Raising the domestic minimum wage for eight consecutive years ensured adequate living standards for grassroots workers, as overall monthly wages rose by approximately 37.3 percent and hourly wages rose by about 52.5 percent. Promulgation of the Minimum Wage Act also provided a formal legal framework for minimum wage reviews. As the COVID-19 pandemic raged worldwide, Taiwan’s pandemic response and public involvement garnered international praise, and despite negative global economic trends, Taiwan’s economy registered positive growth. All citizens and eligible foreign nationals received stimulus payments of NT$6,000 in cash, sharing in the benefits of economic growth.
Industrial development initiatives including the 5+2 innovative industries plan, Three Major Programs for Investing in Taiwan, and Six Core Strategic Industries policy accelerated industrial transformation and upgrading, as well as responded to the US-China trade war and realignment of global supply chains. A commitment to strengthening cutting-edge semiconductor research, expanding university talent development in key areas, and forging connections with semiconductor industry clusters in western Taiwan helped maintain Taiwan’s global leadership in the semiconductor industry. Creating a more friendly investment environment attracted investments from major international firms, with total investment by foreign businesses exceeding NT$2.5 trillion over eight years.
Energy policies addressed the global net-zero trend by mapping out Taiwan’s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050, and building up a presence in the area of emerging green energy. To fulfill the pledge to create a nuclear-free homeland, President Tsai’s administration transformed the structure of Taiwan’s energy sector, vigorously promoted renewable energy development, and set up green energy supply chains. In 2022, total generating capacity for green energy exceeded that of nuclear energy for the first time. By April 2024, solar energy and installed wind power capacity was eight times higher than that of 2016, with the number of installed offshore wind turbines rising from zero to over 290 during that period.
In terms of agricultural policies, President Tsai’s administration set up a system of four major benefits, establishing occupational injury insurance and pension systems for farmers and expanding agricultural insurance to ensure that those who engage in agriculture participate in the farmers’ health insurance program. Her administration implemented smart agriculture and green environment payment programs, set up a comprehensive cold chain logistics system for agricultural products, and strengthened fishing management, which the European Union acknowledged by lifting the yellow card on Taiwan’s long-haul fisheries. Taiwan was also deemed free of foot and mouth disease without imposing vaccination requirements, regaining export business opportunities for the domestic pork industry. Organizational reforms in agricultural administration converted irrigation associations into public service agencies, and the Council of Agriculture was upgraded to become the Ministry of Agriculture, thereby enhancing agricultural policy planning and execution.
National defense reforms promoted national defense self-sufficiency and bolstered Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities. The year 2020 saw the inaugural flight of the domestically developed and produced Brave Eagle advanced jet trainer, and in 2023, the first prototype of our indigenous submarine, Narwhal, was christened and launched. Expansion of indigenous vessel production capacity for the coast guard and navy also spurred the development of national defense-related industries. Military procurement efforts backed by special budget allocations were used to acquire F-16V (BLK70) fighter jets from the US, upgrading naval and air force combat capabilities. In response to the changing regional strategic landscape and defensive operation needs, structural adjustments to the nation’s armed forces were undertaken to strengthen national defense, reinstituting a one-year term of mandatory military service beginning in 2024 while enhancing training programs to show the nation’s determination to safeguard freedom and democracy.
Foreign relations were guided by the principles of steadfast diplomacy and mutual assistance for mutual benefits, establishing sustainable partnerships with diplomatic allies and deepening cooperative democratic partnerships with like-minded and friendly countries. The New Southbound Policy bolstered economic, trade, and cultural links and exchanges with ASEAN countries and India. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan actively shared successful measures to fight the pandemic and donated face masks, exemplifying the “Taiwan Can Help” motto and garnering praise from the international community. The US’s Taiwan Travel Act encouraged reciprocal visits by Taiwan and US officials at all levels, as both countries moved toward a stronger cooperative relationship. In 2023, the first agreement signed under the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade was the most comprehensive trade agreement ever signed between the two sides, and Taiwan-US relations were at their closest in recent history. Over eight years, Taiwan truly became a Taiwan of the world.
Cross-strait policies reflecting the broadest possible social consensus helped shape a national identity as the Republic of China (Taiwan). Cross-strait affairs were handled in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of China and the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, upholding the four principles of peace, parity, democracy, and dialogue, hoping that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can resolve their differences through dialogue, seek a path to peaceful coexistence, establish peaceful and stable cross-strait relations, and resume healthy, orderly cross-strait exchanges.
President Tsai completed her term of office on May 20, 2024.