Johnny Chiang

Johnny Chiang Chi-chen (Chinese: 江啟臣; pinyin: Jiāng Qǐchén; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kang Khé-sîn; born 2 March 1972) is a Taiwanese politician. He was the penultimate Director-General of the Government Information Office from 2010 to 2011, a post he resigned to become a member of the Legislative Yuan in which he has served since 2012. In March 2020, he was elected the Chairman of the Kuomintang and assumed office on 9 March.

Johnny Chiang Chiang Chi-chen MLY
江啟臣
Chiang in June 2015
Chairman of the Kuomintang
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 March 2020
Preceded by	Lin Rong-te (acting) Wu Den-yih
Minority Leader of the Legislative Yuan
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 June 2018
Preceded by	Lin Te-fu
Member of the Legislative Yuan
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 February 2012
Preceded by	Shyu Jong-shyong (Taichung County 4th district)
Constituency	Taichung 8th
Director General of the Government Information Office
In office 24 December 2010 – 1 May 2011
Preceded by	Su Jun-pin
Succeeded by	Philip Yang
Personal details
Born	2 March 1972 Fengyuan, Taichung County (now Fengyuan District, Taichung), Taiwan
Nationality	Republic of China
Political party	Kuomintang
Alma mater	National Chengchi University University of Pittsburgh University of South Carolina
Occupation	Politician

Early education

Johnny was born on 2 March, 1972. He attended elementary and junior high school in his hometown of Taichung before studying diplomacy at National Chengchi University.

He served in the ROC Army Special Force 101 Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion during his compulsory military service. He was honorably discharged from ROC Army with the rank of corporal.

He earned a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh, followed by a doctorate at the University of South Carolina, both in the United States of America.

Early career

Then, he taught at Soochow University, and worked in multiple positions at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research.[1][2][3]

Political career

He was named the head of the Government Information Office in 2010.[2] When Chiang was selected as a Kuomintang candidate for the legislature in April 2011,[4] he resigned the GIO position and was replaced by Philip Yang.[5] Chiang was one of five former GIO officials to appear on the ballot.[6] He won election in 2012, and again in 2016. Chiang was chosen as one of five conveners of the Legislative Yuan's constitutional amendment committee in 2015.[7] He shared foreign and national defense committee convener duties with Liu Shih-fang in 2016.[8] Chiang announced his intention to contest the Taichung mayoralty in October 2017, becoming the second Kuomintang politician after Lu Shiow-yen to declare interest in the position.[9] It was reported in February 2018 that Chiang had narrowly finished second to Lu in three different public opinion polls that served as the Kuomintang's Taichung mayoral primary.[10] Chiang declared his candidacy for the 2020 Kuomintang chairmanship election on 25 January 2020, ten days after Wu Den-yih resigned the position.[11] Chiang defeated Hau Lung-pin in the leadership election, held on 7 March 2020.[12][13] Chiang took office as Kuomintang chairman on 9 March 2020.[14][15]

Personal

Chiang is married to the daughter of former legislator Liu Shen-liang, with whom he has two children.[2] One of his uncles is Antonio Chiang, a former National Security Council secretary-general.[16]

References

1. "Chiang Chi-Chen (8)". Legislative Yuan. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
2. Shih, Hsiu-chuan (21 February 2010). "Johnny Chiang to join Cabinet". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
3. Huang, Jewel (8 November 2006). "China hinders Taiwan's participation in meeting". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
4. Mo, Yan-chih (21 April 2011). "KMT announces first-round legislative nomination list for upcoming elections". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
5. Hsieh, C. C.; Wang, Flor (30 April 2011). "New government spokesman appointed". Central News Agency. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
6. "KMT, DPP to field 5 former gov't spokesmen in legislative elections". China Post. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
7. Loa, Lok-sin (27 March 2015). "New committee chooses five conveners". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
8. Hsiao, Alison (3 March 2016). "Blunder gives KMT seven legislative convener seats". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
9. Chao, Li-yen (31 October 2017). "KMT's Chiang Chi-chen to run for Taichung mayor". Central News Agency. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
10. Hsu, Stacy (10 February 2018). "Lu edges Chiang for KMT's Taichung nomination". Taipei Times. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
11. Lin, Sean (26 January 2020). "KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang enters chair race". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
12. Shih, Hsiao-kuang; Chen, Yun; Chung, Jake (8 March 2020). "Johnny Chiang sweeps KMT vote". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
13. Lim, Emerson (7 March 2020). "Legislator Chiang Chi-chen elected KMT chairman". Central News Agency. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
14. Strong, Matthew (7 March 2020). "Taiwan opposition KMT elects reformist leader". Taiwan News. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
15. Liu, Kuan-ting; Hsu, Elizabeth (9 March 2020). "New KMT chair sworn in, vows to promote 'collective leadership'". Central News Agency. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
16. Mo, Yan-chih (6 November 2011). "Ma opens Taichung campaign HQs". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 March 2016.