President Ma Ying-jeou

Ma Ying-jeou
馬英九
President of the Republic of China
In office 20 May 2008 – 20 May 2016
Premier	Liu Chao-shiuan Wu Den-yih Sean Chen Jiang Yi-huah Mao Chi-kuo Chang San-cheng
Vice President	Vincent Siew Wu Den-yih
Preceded by	Chen Shui-bian
Succeeded by	Tsai Ing-wen
Mayor of Taipei
In office 25 December 1998 – 25 December 2006
Preceded by	Chen Shui-bian
Succeeded by	Hau Lung-pin
Further information Chairman of the Kuomintang In office 17 October 2009 – 3 December 2014 Preceded by Wu Po-hsiung Succeeded by Wu Den-yih (interim) In office 27 July 2005 – 13 February 2007 Preceded by Lien Chan Succeeded by Wu Po-hsiung (interim) Minister of Justice In office 27 February 1993 – 10 June 1996 Premier Lien Chan Preceded by Lu Yu-wen Succeeded by Liao Cheng-hao Minister of Research, Development and Evaluation In office July 1988 – June 1991 Premier Yu Kuo-hwa Lee Huan Deputy Sun Te-hsiung Succeeded by Sun Te-hsiung
Personal details
Born	(1950-07-13) 13 July 1950 (age 67) Kwong Wah Hospital, Kowloon, British Hong Kong
Spouse(s)	Christine Chow
Children	2 daughters
Alma mater	National Taiwan University New York University School of Law Harvard Law School
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Republic of China
Service/branch	Republic of China Marine Corps Republic of China Navy
Years of service	1972-1974
Rank	Lieutenant Commander
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Mǎ Yīngjiǔ Bopomofo ㄇㄚˇㄧㄥㄐㄧㄡˇ Tongyong Pinyin Ma Yingjiou IPA [mà íŋ.tɕjòu] Wu Romanization mo2 in1cieu2 Hakka Romanization Mâ Yîn-kiú Yue: Cantonese Jyutping maa5 jing1gau2 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Má Eng-kiú

Ma Ying-jeou (Chinese: 馬英九; pinyin: Mǎ Yīngjiǔ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Má Eng-kiú, [mà íŋtɕjòu]; born 13 July 1950) is a Tawainese politician who served as the President of the Republic of China (ROC) from 2008 to 2016. His previous political roles include Justice Minister (1993–96) and Mayor of Taipei (1998–2006). He was also the Chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) between 2005–2007 and 2009–2014.

Ma first won the presidency by 58.45% of the popular vote in the presidential election of 2008, and was re-elected in 2012 with 51.6% of the vote. He was sworn into office as president on 20 May 2008, and sworn in as the Chairman of the Kuomintang on 17 October 2009; he resigned as Chairman of Kuomintang on 3 December 2014. Ma's term as president saw an increase in economic and social connection with Mainland China. He became the first ROC Head of State to meet with a Communist Party General Secretary when he met Xi Jinping in Singapore in November 2015.

Ma and his parents originate from Hunan Province in the Republic of China, with Hakka ancestry, but their ancestral home was in Fufeng, Shaanxi Province. His ancestors had migrated from Shaanxi to Jiangxi and then finally to Hunan. He is an alleged descendant of the Three Kingdoms era general Ma Chao, who was from Fufeng, Shaanxi. Researchers had purportedly visited the old residence of Ma's father, Ma Ho-ling, in Kaiyun Town, Hengshan County, Hunan, where they discovered a genealogy book stating that Ma descended from Ma Chao. Ma was raised Catholic.