Ma Ying-jeou

Biography

Ma Ying-jeou (July 13, 1950 – ), born in British Hong Kong, with ancestral roots in Hengshan County, Hunan Province, is a prominent legal scholar and statesman of the Republic of China (ROC). He served as the 12th and 13th President of the ROC (2008–2016), Minister of Justice, Mayor of Taipei, and Chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT). He graduated with an LL.B. from National Taiwan University, an LL.M. from New York University, and a S.J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Starting as an Aide and Sweeping Out Corruption

In his youth, Ma was highly regarded by President Chiang Ching-kuo, serving as his English secretary and First Deputy Secretary-General. He witnessed the historic lifting of martial law and the opening of cross-strait family visits.

As Minister of Justice, Ma displayed immense courage and moral fortitude by launching a massive campaign against money politics (“black-gold”), vote-buying, and public corruption. He stood firm even against intense pressure from powerful factions within his own party, establishing his political reputation for uncompromising honesty and integrity.

Cross-Strait Peace and “Viable Diplomacy”

During his presidency, Ma forged the most peaceful and prosperous golden eight years in cross-strait relations since the 1949 division:

• Upholding the ROC Constitutional Legitimacy: Maintained the status quo of “no unification, no independence, and no use of force” under the ROC constitutional framework.
• Promoting the 1992 Consensus: Reopened institutionalized cross-strait negotiations on the basis of the “1992 Consensus” (One China, Respective Interpretations), signing 23 bilateral agreements including the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).
• The Historic Summit in Singapore: On November 7, 2015, Ma met with mainland China’s leader Xi Jinping in Singapore, marking the first summit of cross-strait leaders since 1949 and lifting cross-strait peace to an unprecedented height.
• Visa-Free Breakthrough: Pushed for practical diplomacy, resulting in a massive increase in the number of countries and territories granting visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to ROC passport holders, from 54 to 164.

Constitutional Storms and Legacy

Although Ma’s second term faced political storms including internal party disputes and the anti-trade Sunflower Student Movement, causing the KMT to lose power in 2016, his historical evaluation has significantly recovered over time. As subsequent administrations faced escalating cross-strait military tensions and continuous corruption scandals within the ruling party, the public has increasingly looked back at Ma’s tenure as an era of “integrity, judicial independence, cross-strait peace, and economic stability.”

Editor-in-Chief’s Verdict from Taiwan NEXT: Ma Ying-jeou is a “constitutional gentleman” who strictly adhered to the legal continuity of the Republic of China. His absolute personal integrity (having never been involved in any corruption scandal) serves as a breath of fresh air in contemporary politics often dominated by under-the-table interests and populist maneuvers. Although he faced political backlash for his insistence on rational, law-abiding governance, the foundations he built for台海 peace and the international respect he earned for the ROC passport remain a brilliant chapter in the modern constitutional history of the ROC.