Sun Tse-ping

Sun Zhiping was born in Shanghai on November 15, 1913, and died on April 6, 2005, at the age of 92. His family members include his father Sun Ke and his grandfather Sun Yat-sen. Sun Zhiping graduated early from St. John’s University in Shanghai, then studied political economy at the University of California in the United States, earning a master’s degree. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he lived in the United States for an extended period.

In 1949, Sun Zhiping moved to Taiwan with his father Sun Ke. He later went to the United States for further studies and obtained a degree. In 1965, he accompanied his father back to Taiwan. He held positions such as member of the Kuomintang Central Committee, national policy advisor at the Office of the Taiwan Authorities, vice-chairman of Taiwan Television, and chairman of United Development Enterprise Company. His first wife was Xie Miaoling; after their divorce, he married Zhang Peixia, with whom he had a son, Sun Guoxiong, and three daughters, Sun Meiling, Sun Meilan, and Sun Meilian.

Sun Zhiping’s brother, Sun Zhiqiang, is also known publicly. The two had notably different circumstances in their later years. During his tenure in Taiwan, Sun Zhiping enjoyed a comfortable income, leading a relatively relaxed life and holding substantial stock assets. In contrast, Sun Zhiqiang faced economic difficulties; he served as an advisor to the Central Trust Bureau and the National Palace Museum in Taipei but had a rather strained financial situation. In his family, his children Sun Jialin and Sun Jiayu now reside in the United States; Sun Jialin later married Lin Linke, with whom he has two sons, Sun Guoyuan and Sun Guosheng.

Sun Zhiping had a certain influence in academic and cultural circles. He studied at St. John’s University in Shanghai and later in the United States, earning a master’s degree. His career spanned politics, culture, and business. In Hong Kong, he was interviewed in 2004, expressing dissatisfaction with the Taiwanese authorities’ “de-Sinicization” policies, criticizing the Chen Shui-bian administration’s measures, and hinting at possible legal avenues for protest—though these were not realized. Throughout his public life, Sun Zhiping promoted Sun Yat-sen’s ideas, especially focusing on cross-strait relations and cultural exchange, advocating for peaceful reunification between China and Taiwan.