Vincent Siew

Infobox Vice President
name = Vincent Siew
蕭萬長

---

nationality = ROC
order = Vice President of the Republic of China
term_start = 20 May 2008
president = Ma Ying-jeou
predecessor = Annette Lu
order2 = Premier of the Republic of China
term_start2 = 01 September 1997
term_end2 = 20 May 2000
predecessor2 = Lien Chan
successor2 = Tang Fei
birth_date = birth date and age|1939|1|3|df=y
birth_place = Chiayi City, Taiwan
spouse = Susan Chu
party = (KMT)

Vincent C. Siew (zh-tspw|t=蕭萬長|s=萧万长|p=Xiāo Wàncháng|w=Hsiao Wan-chang; POJ: Siau Ban-Tiong) (born January 3, 1939) was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of Kuomintang (KMT). Siew is the current Vice President, having won the 2008 Presidential Elections on 22 March with running-mate Ma Ying-jeou.

Biography

Born in Chiayi City in the then Japanese colony of Taiwan, Siew graduated from the Department of Diplomacy at National Chengchi University in 1961, and received a master's degree from the Graduate Institute of International Law and Diplomacy at National Chengchi University in 1965.

He worked at the ROC's Consulate General in Kuala Lumpur from 1966 to 1972. He was named to the Central Committee of the Kuomintang in 1988. He was appointed as Minister of Economic Affairs from 1990 to 1993. As Chairman for Economic Planning Development, he represented President Lee Teng-hui, who was forbidden to attend personally, at the 1993 and 1994 annual APEC leaders' summits.

Siew was elected a member of the Legislative Yuan from 1996 to 1997. He served as Premier from 1997 to 2000. He was the KMT vice-presidential candidate in 2000 on the ticket of Lien Chan.

Siew is married to Susan Chu (朱俶賢 Zhū Shúxián) with three daughters: Ru-ting (蕭如婷), Jia-fen (蕭如芬), and Jhih-you (蕭至佑 Zhìyòu).

Siew is the former chairman of the [http://www.cier.edu.tw Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research] (Siew submitted his resignation June 24, 2007 after his KMT vice-presidential nomination) and the incumbent Chairman of the [http://www.crossstrait.org.tw/version3/index.html Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation] . He resigned as KMT vice chairman and all other posts in the party before the December legislative elections. He was criticised by the Pan-Blue Coalition for not taking a greater role in the Lien-Soong campaign and acting as convener for a private group of economic advisers for President Chen Shui-bian.

Vice-presidential election

In May 2007, Siew was mentioned as a possible running mate for KMT presidential nominee Ma Ying-Jeou. [http://www.ettoday.com/2007/05/09/10844-2094378.htm] This speculation came to fruition after Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng declined Ma's offer to be his running mate. On June 23, 2007, ending weeks of speculation, Ma formally introduced Siew to be his vice-presidential running mate. [http://ettoday.com/2007/06/23/91-2115792.htm] The 2008 run is Siew's second ticket, having been selected also as the vice-presidential candidate of Lien Chan's KMT ticket in 2000.

On March 22, Ma and Siew effectively won the 2008 Presidential Elections. He and Ma won with 7,659,014 (58.45%) votes against Hsieh and Su's 5,444,949 (41.55%) votes.

Election results

Post-election

On April 11, 2008, Vincent Siew departed Taiwan to attend the Boao Forum for Asia, held in Bo'ao, Hainan, which is administered by mainland China. Siew is a founding delegate of the forum from 2001, and he attended once again in his capacity as chairman of the Cross-strait Common Market Fund. Siew had met with Chinese president Hu Jintao in Bo'ao in 2001. However, his special status as the vice president-elect in 2008 made his attendance more significant, but also more controversial in Taiwan. His meeting with Hu Jintao was the highest level exchange between Taiwan and mainland China since the 2005 Pan-Blue visits to mainland China. The level of reception for Siew in Hainan was scaled accordingly and was equivalent to that reserved for Lien Chan in 2005. [ [http://news.chinatimes.com/2007Cti/2007Cti-Focus/2007Cti-Focus-Content/0,4518,9704110191+97041119+0+113940+0,00.html 赴博鰲論壇　蕭：我是來交朋友的] (Attending Bo'ao Forum; Siew says: I am here to make friends)]

On April 12, 2008, Vincent Siew met with Hu Jintao at the Bo'ao Asia Forum as part of the Cross-Strait Common Market Foundation delegation, which also included other former and future government officials and business leaders from Taiwan. At the meeting, Siew and Hu exchanged their optimism for cross-strait relations under the new Taiwanese leadership of Ma Ying-jeou and Vincent Siew. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7343945.stm BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Historic China-Taiwan talks held ] ] Hu asked Siew to convey his greetings to Ma Ying-jeou, Kuomintang chairman Wu Po-hsiung and chairman emeritus Lien Chan. Siew raised the issue of regular cross-strait flights and the resumption of regular talks between the two governments, propositions to which Hu expressed agreement.

Vice Presidency (2008- )

Siew, along with Ma, was sworn in on May 20 2008 in Taipei. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/20/asia/AS-GEN-Taiwan-New-President.php "Ma takes office in Taiwan, pledging to boost ties with China but rejecting unification"] , Associated Press ("International Herald Tribune"), May 20, 2008.]

One September 4, 2008, Siew embarked on his first overseas trip as Vice President, visiting Swaziland for a four days. Siew's trip aimed to cement further the ties between the two countries, and to celebrate King Mswati III's fortieth birthday. Foreign Minister Francisco Ou accompanied Siew on the trip. [ [http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/229739,taiwan-vice-president-heads-to-swaziland-to-cement-ties.html "Taiwan vice president heads to Swaziland to cement ties"] , Earth Times, Sep 4, 2008.]

Nickname

Siew's constant smile has earned him the affectionate nickname "Smiling Siew" (微笑老蕭). [ [http://www.taipei.org/current/siew_e.htm] ]

ee also

*Kuomintang
*Politics of the Republic of China
*Elections in the Republic of China
*History of the Republic of China
*Administrative divisions of the Republic of China

References

External links

* [http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/97/1121/nat4.html An interview] : November 1997, by Asiaweek
* [http://blog.pixnet.net/vincentsiew Level up:Vincent's blog]