Ma Ying-jeou

Ma Ying-jeou is a Taiwanese politician who served as president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016 and chaired the Kuomintang. His presidency pursued closer economic ties and dialogue with mainland China.

Chiang Ching-kuo: The president of the Republic of China from 1978 to 1988, who oversaw Taiwan’s political liberalization. Ma joined Chiang’s administration early in his career and later invoked Chiang’s legacy.
Three Links: Direct postal, transportation, and trade links established between Taiwan and mainland China in 2008. Their implementation embodied the expanded practical exchange pursued under Ma’s administration.
Kuomintang: A Chinese political party that governed Taiwan for much of the postwar period and remains one of its major parties. Ma led this party and represented its preference for engagement with mainland China.
2008 Taiwanese presidential election: The election in which Ma Ying-jeou defeated Frank Hsieh and became president of the Republic of China. Ma’s victory ended eight years of Democratic Progressive Party rule.
Lee Teng-hui: The president of the Republic of China from 1988 to 2000, who advanced Taiwan’s democratization and localization. Lee’s Taiwan-centered political course differed from Ma’s emphasis on the Republic of China framework.
Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement: A 2010 trade agreement between Taiwan and mainland China that reduced tariffs on selected goods and services. The agreement became a central achievement of Ma’s policy of closer economic integration.
Democratic Progressive Party: A Taiwanese political party that has generally emphasized Taiwan’s distinct identity and greater distance from Beijing. Its platform and electoral base offered a principal alternative to Ma’s Kuomintang government.
2012 Taiwanese presidential election: The election in which Ma Ying-jeou won a second presidential term, defeating Tsai Ing-wen. His reelection extended Kuomintang rule despite growing debate over economic dependence on China.
Tsai Ing-wen: A Taiwanese politician who succeeded Ma as president in 2016 and led the Democratic Progressive Party. Tsai’s approach to Beijing contrasted with Ma’s pursuit of cross-strait engagement.
Sunflower Student Movement: A 2014 protest movement in which students and supporters occupied Taiwan’s legislature over a proposed cross-strait trade pact. The movement challenged Ma’s handling of trade integration and exposed public distrust of his government.

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