President of the Republic of China facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of China
Presidential standard
Presidential seal
Incumbent Lai Ching-te since 20 May 2024
Office of the President
Style	Mr. President (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Member of	National Security Council
Residence	Wanli Residence
Seat	Presidential Office Building, Taipei
Appointer	Direct election or via succession
Term length	4 years; renewable once
Precursor	Chairman of the National Government (1925–1948)
Formation	1 January 1912; 113 years ago (1912-01-01) (provisional, in Mainland China) 25 October 1945; 79 years ago (1945-10-25) (Taiwan handover) 20 May 1948; 77 years ago (1948-05-20) (current form)
First holder	Sun Yat-sen (as Provisional President)
Deputy	Vice President
Salary	NTD 531,000 monthly (2024)

The President of the Republic of China, also called the President of Taiwan, is the top leader of the Republic of China. This country is commonly known as Taiwan. The president is also the main commander of Taiwan's military, called the Republic of China Armed Forces.

Before 1949, this position had power over Mainland China. But after the Chinese Civil War, the Republic of China's control was limited to Taiwan and some smaller islands nearby.

At first, the president was chosen by the National Assembly. The job was meant to be mostly ceremonial, like a figurehead. This is because Taiwan was planned to be a parliamentary republic, where a parliament has more power.

However, since the 1996 election, the president has been chosen directly by the people. They win by getting the most votes, which is called plurality voting. A president serves for four years and can be re-elected only once. The current president is Lai Ching-te from the Democratic Progressive Party. Before him was Tsai Ing-wen, also from the same party.

Who Can Be President?

To become president or vice president, a person must meet certain rules. These rules are in the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act.

• Candidates must be citizens of the Republic of China.
• They must be at least 40 years old.
• They need to have lived in the Taiwan Area for at least 15 years.
• They must have been physically present in Taiwan for at least 6 months in a row.

Some people cannot be candidates for president:

• People who are in the military.
• Officials who work for elections.
• People who have foreign citizenship.
• People who do not live in the Free Area of the Republic of China.
• People who got their citizenship back or became citizens through naturalization.

What Does the President Do?

The president is elected for a four-year term. People in areas controlled by the Republic of China vote directly for them. Before 1991, the National Assembly of the Republic of China chose the president for a six-year term.

The Constitution of the Republic of China says the president is the head of state. They are also the commander-in-chief of the military. This means they lead the Republic of China Armed Forces.

The president handles foreign relations. This includes making treaties, declaring war, and making peace. The president must announce all new laws. They cannot stop a law from happening, but they can agree or disagree with a veto suggested by the Executive Yuan (which is like the Cabinet).

Other powers of the president include:

• Granting amnesty (forgiving crimes).
• Giving pardon or clemency (reducing punishments).
• Declaring martial law (when the military takes control in an emergency).
• Giving out honors and awards.

The president can issue emergency orders if there is a big danger to the country or its people. They can also do this during a serious money or economic crisis. However, these orders must be approved by the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's parliament) within ten days. If the Legislative Yuan does not approve, the orders become invalid.

If the Legislative Yuan votes that they have "no confidence" in the premier, the president can dissolve the Legislative Yuan. This means ending its current session. This must happen within ten days of the vote, after talking with the Legislative Yuan's leader. However, the president cannot dissolve it during martial law or an emergency. After dissolving it, a new election for lawmakers must happen within 60 days.

The president can also appoint special advisors. These include senior advisors, national policy advisors, and strategy advisors. They help the president but do not form a formal council.

The Constitution does not clearly say if the president or the premier has more power. The Executive Yuan, led by the premier, is called the "highest administrative authority." It oversees local matters. But the president leads the military and handles foreign affairs.

In the past, the president's power often depended on the person holding the office. For example, Chiang Kai-shek had a lot of power as president. Later, Lee Teng-hui worked to make the president the more powerful official.

After the 2000 election, the president and the Legislative Yuan were controlled by different political parties. This led to some questions about how their powers worked together. Most of these issues have been solved through talks between the parties.

How a New President Takes Over

Chiang Kai-shek and Li Zongren were elected by the National Assembly to be the first president and vice president on 20 May 1948.

The Constitution of the Republic of China explains who becomes president if the position becomes empty. According to the Additional Articles of the Constitution, Article 2:

If the vice president's job becomes empty, the president must suggest new candidates within three months. The Legislative Yuan will then choose a new vice president. This new vice president will finish the rest of the original term.

If both the president and vice president's jobs become empty, the president of the Executive Yuan (the premier) will take over their duties. A new president and vice president will then be elected to finish the original terms. The rules in Article 49 of the Constitution will not apply here.

No premier has ever become president this way. So, it's not fully clear what would happen if the premier's job was also empty. It is thought that the Vice President of the Executive Yuan (vice premier) would then act as president.

Based on this, the current order of who would take over the presidency is:

1. Hsiao Bi-khim, the current Vice President of the Republic of China.
2. Cho Jung-tai, the current President of the Executive Yuan (Premier).
3. Cheng Li-chun, the current Vice President of the Executive Yuan.

The presidency has changed hands three times under the 1947 Constitution:

1. President Chiang Kai-shek stepped down on January 21, 1949, during the Chinese Civil War. Vice President Li Zongren became acting president. However, Chiang still held power as the head of the Kuomintang party and military. Li Zongren later left for the United States. Chiang returned to his duties as president on March 1, 1950, after moving the government to Taiwan.
2. President Chiang Kai-shek died on April 5, 1975. Vice President Yen Chia-kan took over and finished the rest of his term.
3. President Chiang Ching-kuo died on January 13, 1988. Vice President Lee Teng-hui became president. He finished the term and then won two more terms on his own.

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  The Presidential Building in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, is where the president's office is now.

• 

  The Presidential Southern Office in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung, opened on March 10, 2017.

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  The Presidential Central Office in Fengyuan District, Taichung, opened on March 18, 2017.

Diplomatic Rules

At the funeral of Pope John Paul II, President Chen Shui-bian (far left) was seated in the front row. The Holy See recognized him as the head of state of China.

Air Force 3701, the presidential aircraft of Taiwan.

The rules for how the President of Taiwan is treated by other countries are a bit complicated. This is because of the political status of Taiwan. In countries that officially recognize Taiwan, the president is treated like any other head of state.

In other countries, the president is formally seen as a private citizen. Even then, their visits often cause strong reactions from the People's Republic of China.

The President of Taiwan has visited the United States several times. These visits are usually called "transit" stops on the way to countries that do recognize Taiwan. This way, the US government does not have to issue a special visa. During these trips, the president is not formally treated as a head of state. They do not meet US government officials in their official roles. They also do not visit Washington, D.C.. However, they do meet with US government staff, but these meetings are with lower-ranking officials in unofficial places.

In Southeast Asia, the President of Taiwan used to make visits in the early 1990s that were officially private tourist trips. But these visits happen less often now because of pressure from the People's Republic of China.

At the yearly Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting, the President of Taiwan cannot attend in person. They must send a special representative instead.

However, on December 2, 2016, US President-elect Donald Trump took a phone call from the President of Taiwan. This was a big change from how things were usually done.

The government and media of the People's Republic of China (PRC) use different terms for Taiwan's leader. They use terms like Leader of the Taiwan Area or Leader of the Taiwanese Authorities. This is because the PRC does not recognize Taiwan as a separate country. If they have to use the official title in a news article, they will put quotation marks around it.

President's Secretary-General

The secretary-general to the president is the highest-ranking official in the Office of the President. This person manages all the staff who work for the president. The current secretary-general is Pan Men-an.

Presidential Symbols

Podium symbol used by the president

The president's podium has a special symbol on the front. It is a golden plum blossom surrounded by a laurel wreath.

The presidential standard [zh] is the official symbol of the president as the leader of the Republic of China Armed Forces. It is a red flag with a thin yellow border. In the middle is the national symbol of the Republic of China. This flag is flown at the Presidential Office and other places the president uses. It is also used on vehicles when the president is using them and in other special ceremonies.

The Presidential Seal [zh] is a square stamp. The words 總統之印 are written on it in an old style of writing called seal script. The words mean "Seal of the President."

Presidential Elections

Maps showing the results of Taiwan's direct presidential elections.

This chart compares the vote percentages in direct presidential elections.     : Democratic Progressive Party candidates     : Kuomintang candidates     : People First Party candidates, or James Soong.     : New Party nominated or supported candidates.     : Taiwan People's Party candidates         : Other independent candidates

History of the Presidency

Taiwan was under Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945. During this time, the emperor of Japan was the leader, represented by a governor-general.

After the Wuchang Uprising in 1911 against the Qing rulers, revolutionaries chose Sun Yat-sen as the "provisional president." The Republic of China officially began on January 1, 1912. Sun soon stepped down, and Yuan Shikai became "Great President." Yuan made the Last Emperor give up his throne, ending thousands of years of imperial rule in China.

The 1913 Constitution gave the president strong powers. However, Yuan Shikai soon became a dictator. He even tried to make himself Emperor of China in 1915, but he had to give up this idea before he died in 1916.

After Yuan Shikai died, a period called the Warlord Era began. Different military leaders, or warlords, took control. The presidency was held by a series of these warlords. This period ended in 1928 when the Kuomintang (KMT) party, led by the Northern Expedition, took control of North China.

Sun Yat-sen had also set up a different government in Guangzhou in 1917. He was called "Generalissimo of the Military Government." He was later elected "Extraordinary President." Sun died in 1925. After his death, the government, now called the National Government, was led by committees of the Kuomintang. The "Chairman of the National Government" acted as the head of state. This form of government lasted until a new Constitution was made in 1947.

After China won the Second Sino-Japanese War, the National Government, led by Chiang Kai-shek, returned to Nanjing. The KMT wanted to create a democratic constitution. The new Constitution of the Republic of China was announced on December 25, 1947. It set up a government with five branches and a president as the head of state. On May 20, 1948, Chiang Kai-shek was formally chosen by the National Assembly as the first president.

After the KMT lost mainland China in the Chinese Civil War, the government moved to Taiwan. The rules about how long a president could serve were stopped after 1960. The members of the National Assembly continued in their jobs until 1991. They kept electing Chiang Kai-shek as president until he died in 1975.

Presidents were chosen by the National Assembly until the first direct presidential election in 1996. At that time, the term length was changed from six to four years.

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  Official results from November 10, 1911, announcing Sun's election.

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  The West Garden Hall in Presidential Palace, Nanjing, was the provisional president's office in 1912.

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  After Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Government took control, this house in Peking was the president's office.

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  The Presidential Palace in Xuanwu District, Nanjing, was the office of the chairman of the National Government from 1927–1937.

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  The Presidential Building in Presidential Palace, Nanjing, was the president's office after the 1947 Chinese Constitution, until the government moved to Taiwan in 1949.

Timeline of Presidents

• Cen Chunxuan was the president of the southern military government of the Republic of China from 1913 to 1921.

1st Provisional President and Presidents after the 1947 Constitution

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  Sun Yat-sen
  1st Provisional President
  (served: 1912)

• 

  1st: Chiang Kai-shek
  1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th terms
  (served: 1948–1975)

• 

  2nd: Yen Chia-kan
  remaining 5th term
  (served: 1975–1978)

• 

  3rd: Chiang Ching-kuo
  6th & 7th terms
  (served: 1978–1988)

• 

  4th: Lee Teng-hui
  remaining 7th term, then 8th & 9th terms
  (served: 1988–2000)

• 

  5th: Chen Shui-bian
  10th & 11th terms
  (served: 2000–2008)

• 

  6th: Ma Ying-jeou
  12th & 13th terms
  (served: 2008–2016)

• 

  7th: Tsai Ing-wen
  14th & 15th terms
  (served: 2016–2024)

• 

  8th: Lai Ching-te
  16th term
  (serving: 2024–present)

See Also

In Spanish: Presidente de la República de China para niños

• Elections in Taiwan
• History of Taiwan
• Vice President of the Republic of China
• Premier of the Republic of China
• List of presidents of the Republic of China
• Politics of the Republic of China
• List of political parties in the Republic of China
• List of rulers of Taiwan
• Republic of China Presidential Museum