Hsu Hsin-liang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hsu Hsin-liang
|
|
|---|---|
|
許信良
|
|
Hsu in 1992
|
|
| 4th and 6th Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party | |
| In office 18 July 1996 – 18 July 1998 |
|
| Preceded by | Chang Chun-hung (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Lin Yi-hsiung |
| In office 20 January 1992 – 4 December 1993 |
|
| Preceded by | Huang Shin-chieh |
| Succeeded by | Shih Ming-teh |
| Magistrate of Taoyuan | |
| In office 20 December 1977 – 1 July 1979 |
|
| Preceded by | Wu Po-hsiung Weng Chien (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Yeh Kuo-kuang (acting) Hsu Hung-chih |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 May 1941 Chūreki Town, Chūreki District, Shinchiku Prefecture, Japanese Taiwan (modern-day Zhongli, Taoyuan, Taiwan) |
| Nationality |  Taiwan (Republic of China) |
| Political party | Democratic Progressive Party (1990s; 2008–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Taiwan Revolutionary Party (1984–1986) Kuomintang (until 1977; 2000–2008) |
| Spouse | Hsu Chung Pi-hsia |
| Relations | Hsu Kuo-tai (brother) |
| Education | National Chengchi University (BA) University of Edinburgh (MA) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Hsu Hsin-liang (born May 27, 1941) is a well-known Taiwanese politician. He used to be the leader, or Chairman, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). For some years, from 2000 to 2008, he supported a different group of parties called the Pan-Blue Coalition. However, in the 2008 election, he switched back to supporting the DPP.
Early Life and Education
Hsu Hsin-liang was born in a place called Chūreki, which is now Zhongli District in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. This was during a time when Taiwan was under Japanese rule.
He went to Hsinchu Senior High School. Later, he studied political science at National Chengchi University, earning his first degree in 1967. He then went to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where he earned a master's degree in 1969.
Political Career
Hsu Hsin-liang started his political journey with the Kuomintang party. He served as a member of the Taiwan Provincial Assembly from 1973 to 1977.
However, he later left the Kuomintang. In 1977, he ran as an independent candidate for the leader of Taoyuan County, known as the Magistrate. He won this election. During this time, an event called the Zhongli incident happened. It occurred after people reported seeing an official from the Kuomintang party destroy votes.
Hsu Hsin-liang became involved in activities that opposed the government in 1979. Because of this, the government removed him from his position for two years. On September 30, 1979, he was sent away from Taiwan and moved to the United States. There, he continued to speak out against the Kuomintang government.
In 1986, after the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was formed, Hsu tried to return to Taiwan. He tried to come back through Japan, but he was stopped many times at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. Three years later, he was arrested when he secretly entered Taiwan on a fishing boat from mainland China. He was put in prison for opposing the government. However, President Lee Teng-hui later forgave him and he was released in 1990.
After his release, Hsu Hsin-liang joined the DPP. He served as the party's Chairman twice. His first term was from 1991 to 1993, and his second was from 1996 to 1998. He wanted to change the DPP from a party that strongly pushed for Taiwan's immediate independence to a more moderate group. He hoped this would make the party more appealing to more voters.
Hsu tried to become the DPP's candidate for president twice. In 1996, he lost the party's internal election to Peng Ming-min. In 1999, the party chose Chen Shui-bian, who was very popular. After these attempts, Hsu decided to leave the DPP in 1999.
In the 2000 Republic of China presidential election, Hsu Hsin-liang ran as an independent candidate. He had Josephine Chu, a lawmaker from the New Party, as his running mate. During his campaign, he talked about a plan for Taiwan and mainland China called "one country, two systems." This idea suggests that Taiwan could be part of a larger China but keep its own way of life.
After the 2000 election, Hsu became more critical of the government led by President Chen Shui-bian. Hsu believes that having a good relationship with mainland China is very important for Taiwan's economy and future. He thinks that Taiwan should focus on building stronger economic ties across the strait first, rather than rushing into political talks.
Hsu publicly supported Lien Chen and James Soong in the 2004 Republic of China presidential election. In March 2004, Hsu and other politicians who were part of the Tangwai movement (a movement that opposed the ruling party) made a joint statement. They criticized Chen Shui-bian for not upholding the ideals of democracy and freedom they once fought for. Hsu and others asked voters not to support Chen, hoping he would think about his actions.
After the 2004 election, Hsu Hsin-liang protested what he felt was an unfair election. He went to Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the presidential palace and started a three-day hunger strike. He strongly believed that Chen Shui-bian had cheated in the election. He felt he was fighting for democracy, just as he had done many years before.
In July 2004, he started the Taiwan Democratic School. This school aimed to promote a new movement to support Taiwan's young democracy. It also encouraged different political groups to work together.
In December 2004, he ran for a seat in the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's parliament) as an independent candidate. He did not win. His campaign focused on opposing a large purchase of weapons from the U.S. and supporting direct links between Taiwan and mainland China. Until 2006, Hsu and two other former DPP chairmen also left the party because they were unhappy with Chen's policies.
However, after the Kuomintang party won many seats in the Legislative Yuan in 2008, Hsu became worried. He was concerned that the party might become too powerful and limit people's freedoms. Because of this, Hsu decided to support the DPP candidate, Frank Hsieh, in the 2008 presidential election. This was a change, as he had been connected with the Pan-Blue Coalition for some time. After Chen Shui-bian left office, Hsu continued to support the DPP. He has been seen at DPP events since 2008. In 2011, he registered to run in the DPP's internal election to choose their candidate for the 2012 presidential election. In 2012, he was a candidate for the DPP chairperson election but did not win.
Cross-Strait Relations
In April 2013, Hsu Hsin-liang spoke at a press conference. He called for talks between Taiwan and mainland China to help Taiwan's economy, which he felt was not growing enough. He also suggested that Taiwan should have a government where different political parties work together. He explained that these talks with mainland China are not just for political reasons, but to help Taiwan's economy.
