Ma Ying-jeou

Ma Ying-jeou was born in Hong Kong on July 13, 1950, with ancestral roots in Xiangtan County, Hunan Province (some sources cite Hengshan County). In 1952, he moved with his family to Taiwan, beginning his life journey. His family members include his father, Ma Heling, who served as Director of the Youth Guidance Committee of Taiwan's Executive Yuan, and his mother, Qin Houxiu, who was a section chief at Taiwan’s Central Bank Foreign Exchange Bureau. He has three older sisters: Ma Yinan, Ma Naixi, Ma Bingru, and a younger sister, Ma Lijun.

In terms of education, Ma Ying-jeou joined the Kuomintang (KMT) in 1967. After graduating from National Taiwan University’s Law Department in 1972, he received the Sun Yat-sen Scholarship to study in the United States, earning a Master of Laws degree from New York University in 1976. He then studied at Harvard Law School, where he earned a Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) in 1991. During his studies abroad, he married Chow Mei-chung, with whom he has two daughters: Ma Weizhong and Ma Yuanzhong.

Early in his career, Ma Ying-jeou worked at several U.S. institutions, including as a research advisor at the University of Maryland School of Law, a legal advisor at Boston’s First National Bank, and an intern lawyer at Covington & Burling LLP on Wall Street, New York. He returned to Taiwan in 1981, serving as Deputy Director of the First Office of the Presidential Office and as an associate professor at the Political University’s Law Research Institute. Starting in 1982, he served as an English translator for Chiang Ching-kuo, assisting with national affairs.

His political career began in 1984, holding positions such as Deputy Secretary-General of the Kuomintang Central Committee and various administrative roles. In 1988, he was appointed Chief of the Research and Evaluation Committee of the Executive Yuan and Executive Secretary of the Mainland Affairs Working Group. In 1990, he was elected as a researcher for the National Unification Council. In 1991, he was promoted to Deputy Chairman and Spokesperson of the Mainland Affairs Council, and in 1992, he became a non-party “National Assembly” member representing the Kuomintang.

In 1993, he served as Minister of Justice, where he led a crackdown on local black gold (corruption and organized crime), a move that sparked intra-party controversy. In 1997, he resigned from office and temporarily suspended political participation to focus on academia, teaching law at Political University. In 1998, supported by the Kuomintang, he ran for Mayor of Taipei and was elected, serving until 2006 with two consecutive terms.

In 2005, he was elected Chairman of the Kuomintang with a high vote share. In 2008, he won the Taiwan regional presidential election on behalf of the Kuomintang and assumed office on May 20, 2008. He was re-elected in 2012 and served until May 20, 2016. During his tenure, he promoted the normalization of cross-strait relations, economic cooperation, and signed multiple agreements to improve tourism, education, and infrastructure in Taiwan.

In 2014, he resigned from his position as Kuomintang Chairman. In 2015, he met with Xi Jinping in Singapore, marking a historic moment called the “Xi-Ma Meeting” which advanced cross-strait relations. After stepping down, Ma remained active in academic exchanges and international conferences, receiving numerous international peace awards. After leaving office in 2016, he visited mainland China multiple times for cultural and ancestral visits. In 2024, he was invited again to mainland China, emphasizing the importance of peace and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.

Regarding personal life, Ma Ying-jeou is 178 centimeters tall, with an elegant and handsome appearance. He is known for a healthy, rational, and upright public image. He enjoys sports, habitually running in the mornings to maintain his health. A fan of literature, especially martial arts novels, he particularly enjoys works by Jin Yong, having secretly read forbidden books as a youth. The name “Ma Ying-jeou” embodies qualities of loyalty, wisdom, and longevity, reflecting his family’s cultural background.

Ma Ying-jeou’s political career is marked by significant milestones, including serving as Taipei’s Mayor, Kuomintang Chairman, and Taiwan’s Leader, leaving a profound impact on politics, the economy, and cross-strait relations. His governance style is characterized by rule of law and pragmatic cooperation, making him one of the most prominent political figures in the Chinese-speaking world.