Eric Chu

Wikipedia

Eric Chu
朱立倫
Official portrait, 2017
7th & 11th Chairman of the Kuomintang
Assumed office
5 October 2021
Deputy
Secretary GeneralJustin Huang
Preceded byJohnny Chiang
In office
19 January 2015  16 January 2016
Deputy
Secretary GeneralLee Shu-chuan
Preceded byWu Den-yih (Acting)
Succeeded byHuang Min-hui (Acting)
1st Mayor of New Taipei
In office
25 December 2010  25 December 2018[a]
Deputy
Preceded byChou Hsi-wei (as Magistrate of Taipei County)
Succeeded byHou Yu-ih
29th Vice Premier of the Republic of China
In office
10 September 2009  17 May 2010
PremierWu Den-yih
Preceded byPaul Chiu
Succeeded bySean Chen
Minister of the Consumer Protection Commission
In office
10 September 2009  17 May 2010
PremierWu Den-yih
Preceded byPaul Chiu
Succeeded bySean Chen
11th Magistrate of Taoyuan
In office
20 December 2001  10 September 2009
DeputyHuang Min-kon
Preceded byHsu Ying-shen (Acting)
Succeeded byHuang Min-kon (Acting)
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office
1 February 1999  20 December 2001
ConstituencyTaoyuan County
Personal details
Born (1961-06-07) 7 June 1961 (age 64)
Bade, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Political partyKuomintang
SpouseKao Wan-ching
Children2
EducationNational Taiwan University (BA)
New York University
(MBA, PhD)
Signature
Scientific career
FieldsApplied statistics
ThesisMarket-based Accounting Research: An International Comparison and New Evidence (1991)
Doctoral advisorJoshua Ronen
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese朱立倫
Simplified Chinese朱立伦
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhū Lìlún
Wade–GilesChu Li-lun

Eric Li-luan Chu[1] (Chinese: 朱立倫; pinyin: Zhū Lìlún; born on 7 June 1961) is a Taiwanese politician, statistician, and academic who has served as the chairman of the Kuomintang since 2021.[2]

Born to a political family, Chu graduated from National Taiwan University and earned his doctorate from New York University. After working as an accounting professor, he entered politics and served as a member of the Legislative Yuan from 1999 to 2001, and as the magistrate of Taoyuan County from 2001 to 2009. From 2009 to 2010, he served as the vice premier under Wu Den-yih. He was elected as the first mayor of New Taipei in 2010.

On 17 January 2015, he was elected unopposed as the chairman of the Kuomintang, succeeding Ma Ying-jeou. On 17 October 2015, he was chosen as KMT candidate for the 2016 presidential election replacing incumbent candidate Hung Hsiu-chu. Chu was defeated by his opponent Tsai Ing-wen, and subsequently resigned his post as KMT chairman. [3] As a result of the 2021 Kuomintang chairmanship election, he returned to his former post as chairman of the party.

Early life and education

Chu was born on June 7, 1961, in Bade City, Taoyuan County.[4] His ancestral home is in Yiwu, Zhejiang.[5] His father, Chang-hsing (朱樟興; d. 2025),[6] was a local politician in Taoyuan County who served in the local legislature and in the National Assembly.[7] Chu's uncle, Lin Hsi-da, was a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who served as mayor of Daxi Township; Chu's mother is also from Daxi.[8] His father-in-law, Taiwanese politician and businessman Kao Yu-jen (高育仁), formerly served as a Kuomintang legislator.[7][9]

Chu attended Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School, where he was classmates with Jiang Yi-huah and Lai Ching-te,[10] and originally studied science before switching to liberal arts in his second year.[11] After graduating in 1978,[12] he studied business administration as an undergraduate at National Taiwan University and received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in 1983. He then completed military service in the Republic of China Armed Forces and pursued doctoral studies in the United States at New York University, where he earned a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in finance in 1987 and his Ph.D. in accounting and applied statistics in 1991 from the New York University Stern School of Business.[13]

As a graduate student at NYU, Chu received a scholarship to complete his studies and met his wife, Kao Wan-ching (高婉倩), who was a doctoral student at Columbia University studying mass communications.[14] Chu's doctoral dissertation, completed under accounting professor Joshua Ronen, was titled, "Market-Based Accounting Research: An International Comparison and New Evidence".[15] The thesis examined the rate of returns in the Taiwan Stock Exchange compared to those in U.S. markets.[15]

Academic career

After receiving his doctorate, Chu worked as an assistant professor at the City University of New York from 1990 to 1992, then returned to Taiwan and became an associate professor (1992–1997) and then full professor (1997–2001) of accounting at National Taiwan University.[13] His expertise included accounting, financial analysis, and public policy.[16] In 1995, Chu was a visiting professor at Peking University.[17] He has continued to teach graduate accounting courses part-time at National Taiwan University since 2020.[18] In October 2020, Chu also taught accounting at Soochow University as its Yen Chia-kan Chair Professor.[19]

Early political career

He ran in the Republic of China legislative election held on 5 December 1998, was elected as a Kuomintang legislator, and took office on 1 February 1999. During his office term, he focused on financial and economic issues of Taiwan.[20]

In 2000, he was appointed Chairman of the Budgetary Committee and the Finance Committee of the Legislative Yuan. He served in these positions for one year until 2001.[21]

Taoyuan County magistrate (2001–2009)

Chu at the 2007 Taoyuan Book Exhibition
Chu and Hau Lung-pin at the 2008 Digital Cities Convention Taoyuan

Chu won the 2001 Taoyuan County Magistrate election held on 1 December 2001 as a member of then-opposition Kuomintang, defeating Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Perng Shaw-jiin.[22][23]

Chu ran for re-election in the 2005 Republic of China local election on 3 December 2005 and defeated DPP challenger Cheng Pao-ching, CEO of Taiwan Salt Company. He then took office for his second term as magistrate on 20 December 2005.[24]

During his second term as Magistrate of Taoyuan County, Chu concurrently served as the Vice Chairman of Kuomintang from November 2008 until October 2009.[25]

Vice premier (2009–2010)

Chu was tapped by President Ma Ying-jeou to be the Vice Premier to Wu Den-yih on 7 September 2009, in a reshuffling of the Executive Yuan due to the slow disaster response to Typhoon Morakot.[26][27] Chu's position as Magistrate of Taoyuan County was succeeded by Deputy Magistrate Huang Min-kon.[28] At the age of 48, Chu was the youngest Vice Premier in ROC history.[29]

On 13 May 2010, Chu submitted his resignation to Premier Wu to run for mayor of the newly created New Taipei City, the successor of Taipei County.[30] Financial Supervisory Commission chairperson Sean Chen was tapped to succeed Chu as deputy premier.[31]

New Taipei City Mayoralty

Chu in 2010 ROC Municipal Election for Mayor of New Taipei City

2010 New Taipei City mayoralty election

In May 2010 before the New Taipei City Mayor election, Chu outlined his vision for the city. Noting the gap between New Taipei and Taipei, Chu promised to transform New Taipei if he was elected, where completing the mass rapid transit network in New Taipei will be his top priority. Chu defeated DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen on 27 November 2010, to become the first mayor of New Taipei on 25 December 2010.[32][33] He named Hou Yu-ih, Hsu Chih-chien, and Lee Shih-chuan deputy mayors of the city.[34] Hou and Chen Shen-hsien shared the deputy mayoral post soon after Lee was named Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan on 25 February 2014 and Hsu had stepped down on 30 June 2014 due to health concerns.[35][36][37][38]

Wikileaks

The content of some of Chu's conversations with Stephen Young of the American Institute in Taiwan was included in US diplomatic cables that were leaked in 2011. Chu claims that those cables do not accurately reflect the content of his conversations with Young.[39]

Taiwanese fisherman shooting incident

The Guang Da Xing No. 28 was fishing in disputed water in the South China Sea on 9 May 2013 when the Philippine Coast Guard opened fire on the Taiwanese fishing boat. Chu condemned the shooting and said that he would suspend all of the exchanges between New Taipei City and the Philippines until the Philippine government apologized for the incident, compensated the victim's family and prosecuted the perpetrators.[40]

2014 New Taipei City mayoralty election

Election result in New Taipei City for Chu (blue) and Yu Shyi-kun (green).

On 29 November 2014, Chu won the New Taipei City mayoralty election, defeating his opponent Yu Shyi-kun of the Democratic Progressive Party. He had been expected to win a landslide victory,[41][42] but he won by slightly more than 1% of the vote total.[43] His second mayoral term started on 25 December 2014.[44]

Kuomintang chairmanship

2014–2016 chair

On 17 January 2015, Chu ran unopposed in the KMT chairmanship election.[45] He was the only candidate to have registered and paid the NT$2 million registration fee.[46] He succeeded Ma Ying-jeou, who had resigned on 3 December 2014 to take responsibility for KMT losses in the ROC local election on 29 November 2014.[47]

Prior to the election, Chu said he had not yet decided on meeting with Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping after being elected as KMT chairman.[48] Furthermore, he said that "Cross-strait relations must stick to the current peaceful, open and mutually beneficial path, no matter which party is in power...but the economic benefits brought about by cross-strait development must not only go to a few vested groups...(and) We will pay special attention to an equitable distribution of wealth."[49] On 4 May 2015, Chu met with Xi Jinping in Beijing.[50][51]

During his first term as party chair, Chu also acknowledged that the KMT accumulated much of its wealth illegally, and that these assets should be returned to the nation.[52] In 2000 Chu claimed that these assets total US$3.15 billion;[53] they include 146 plots of land, many in prime locations, as well as 157 houses and buildings. the majority of which were seized from Japanese and Taiwanese in 1945 and subsequently treated as belonging to the party, not the nation.[54] After Chu announced his candidacy for KMT Chairmanship, however, he claimed not to know what assets are held or what their value might be.[55]

2016 Taiwanese presidential elections

Though Chu had repeatedly refused to run in the 2016 presidential election,[56][57] he was chosen to be the preferred candidate over the incumbent Hung Hsiu-chu in a KMT congress held at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall on 17 October 2015.[58] 812 of 891 KMT members in attendance voted to replace Hung with Chu.[59] In a post-election speech, Chu apologized to Hung for her dismissal, but continued by saying the KMT had reached a crucial point where it needed to adjust its pace and start anew. He also apologized to New Taipei residents for breaking his promise to serve as mayor until his term ended.[60][61] The party's decision to replace Hung had been made prior to the meeting, and Chu had apologized to Hung multiple times for the way the party had treated her.[62][63]

On 19 October 2015, Chu announced his intention to temporarily leave mayoral duties to Deputy Mayor Hou Yu-ih starting the next day.[64] Chu planned to take three months of leave, to focus on his presidential campaign. The monthly salary of NT$190,500 Chu would have collected during this time was to be donated to the New Taipei City treasury.[65]

Chu suffered an enormous defeat in the 2016 presidential election, losing 18 of 23 counties. He resigned the KMT chairmanship, and returned to the New Taipei City mayorship on 18 January 2016.[66][60][67]

2021–present chair

Chu announced that he would run in the 2021 Kuomintang chairmanship election on 2 August 2021.[68][69] He finished first of four candidates on 25 September 2021,[70][71] and took office on 5 October 2021.[72][73]

Selected publications

  • Chu, Eric Liluan (1 September 1997). "Impact of Earnings, Dividends and Cash Flows on Stock Returns: Case of Taiwan's Stock Market" (PDF). Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting. 9 (2). Springer: 181–202. doi:10.1023/A:1008264510023. ISSN 1573-7179.
  • Chu, Eric Liluan (2014). "New Taipei City's Innovation to Safeguard Children". Public Administration Review. 74 (5): 557–558. doi:10.1111/puar.12235. ISSN 1540-6210.

Notes

  1. Hou Yu-ih served as acting mayor from 20 October 2015 to 18 January 2016 during Chu's presidential campaign.

References

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  2. "新北市第2屆市長選舉選舉公報" (PDF). Central Election Commission (in Chinese). Taiwan. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  3. "侯友宜7個字勝選新北市長 經緯萬端考驗多[]" (in Chinese). Taiwan. Central News Agency. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  4. "The Mayor of Taoyuan County ― Eric Liluan Chu Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine." Taoyuan County. Retrieved on 2 February 2009.
  5. "洗刷"政治精算师"形象,朱立伦应去选台南市长,而非国民党主席?_新北市" [Should Eric Chu run for mayor of Tainan instead of chairman of the Kuomintang?]. Sohu. 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  6. "Eric Chu's Father Passes Away at 100". International Community Radio Taipei. 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  7. 1 2 "PROFILE: Appointment as vice premier will put Taoyuan County's Eric Chu to the test". The Taipei Times. 9 September 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  8. Fang, Yahui (16 July 1998). "台大教授放棄會計算盤選立委 - 商業周刊第556期" [NTU professor gives up calculating election plans to be a legislator]. Business Weekly (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 9 July 2025.
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  10. Yang, Yayun (September 2017). "賴清德建中同屆同學 朱立倫:立委才認識" [Zhu Lilun, Lai Qingde's classmate at Chien Kuo High School] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). TVBS. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  11. Zhou, Xinyi (2009). "〈獨家〉巧!朱立倫、江宜樺 建中同班同學" [Coincidence: Zhu Lilun and Jiang Yihua were classmates at Jianzhong High School] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). TVBS. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  12. "建國中學校友會" [Professor Zhu Lilun '78]. Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School. 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  13. 1 2 "Who's Who in the ROC" (PDF). Executive Yuan. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  14. Liu, Pinxi (14 November 2015). "朱立倫紐約求學回憶多 最想念熱狗". Radio Taiwan International (in Chinese). Retrieved 31 December 2024 via Yahoo News.
  15. 1 2 "Market-based accounting research: An international comparison and new evidence" (PhD Thesis). Proquest. 1991. Archived from the original on 24 March 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  16. Wu, Yan (28 August 2024). "柯文哲找嘸人接手幫查帳 改找「會計學博士」朱立倫?國民黨回應了" [Did Ko Wen-je ask Eric Chu, who holds a doctorate in accounting, to do the audits instead?] (in Chinese). Mirror Media. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  17. Ge, Tingting (13 May 2015). "KMT Chairman Eric Chu visits Peking University". Peking University. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  18. Luo, Wanting (12 August 2020). "朱立倫回台大會計系開課 網友暴動:想修!" [When Eric Chu returned to NTU's Department of Accounting to teach, netizens rioted] (in Traditional Chinese). Eastern Broadcasting Company. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  19. "禮聘前新北市市長朱立倫擔任本校「嚴家淦法..." [Former New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu invited to serve as the "Yan Jiagan Law Chair Professor"] (in Traditional Chinese). Soochow University. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  20. "Eric Chu (朱立倫)|Who's Who|WantChinaTimes.com". Wantchinatimes.com. 7 June 1961. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  21. "New Taipei City Government - Mayor of New Taipei City". ntpc.gov.tw. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015.
  22. Chiu, Yu-tzu (2 December 2001). "DPP loses support on the ground". Taipei Times. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  23. "歷任副院長 朱立倫 先生". Executive Yuan (in Chinese). Taiwan. December 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  24. "2014 ELECTIONS: KMT's John Wu loses Taoyuan re-election bid". 30 November 2014.
  25. "Newsmakers: Eric Chu | Hear in Taiwan". Blog.rti.org.tw. 23 May 2010. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  26. "Chu bids farewell to Taoyuan residents - the China Post". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  27. Wong, Edward (7 September 2009). "Prime Minister of Taiwan Quits Over Typhoon Response". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  28. "Huang Min-kon tapped as deputy secretary-general(行政院全球資訊網 - PDA(英文版)-Press Releases)". Ey.gov.tw. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  29. Li, Xueying (18 October 2015). "KMT ditches presidential candidate". Straits Times. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  30. "Chu resigns to run in Xinbei City election". China Daily. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  31. Ho, Chiayi (13 May 2010). "Wu names FSC head as ROC vice premier". Taiwan Today. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  32. Weiyi Lim and Janet Ong (27 November 2010). "Taiwan's KMT Wins Most Seats in Vote, Showing Support for Pro-China Stance". Bloomberg.
  33. 林金池 (28 November 2010). "朱立倫111萬票 穩住最大票倉". 中國時報 (in Chinese). Taiwan. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  34. "Former police chief to be Chu's deputy". Taipei Times. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  35. Culpan, Tim (25 February 2014). "Former Google Executive Named Taiwan's First Technology Minister". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  36. "Ex-New Taipei deputy mayor prosecuted for taking bribes". www.chinapost.com.tw. Central News Agency. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  37. Pan, Jason (31 July 2015). "Hsu Chih-chien held in graft probe". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  38. Hsiao, Alison (28 July 2014). "Ex-minister says he was victim of 'horrible system'". Taipei Times. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  39. "WIKILEAKS: KMT rushes to deny claims about internal struggles". 8 September 2011.
  40. "Death on the High Seas: Ma issues ultimatum over fisherman's death". Taipei Times. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  41. "New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu to run for Kuomintang chairman". South China Morning Post. 12 December 2014.
  42. Yan-chih, Mo (25 December 2013). "Chu leading in mayoral election: poll". Taipei Times. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  43. Lo, Chi-hao James (20 November 2014). "Chu's close-shave win in New Taipei". www.chinapost.com.tw. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  44. 李定宇 (25 December 2014). "朱立倫宣誓就職 內政部長到場監誓". 蘋果新聞網 (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  45. 謝莉慧 (17 January 2015). "史上最高得票率99.61% 朱立倫接黨主席". 新頭殼newtalk (in Chinese). Taiwan. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  46. Chyan, Amy (14 December 2014). "Eric Chu to become KMT chairman by default". www.chinapost.com.tw. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  47. 黃名璽 (2 December 2014). "馬英九3日向中常會請辭黨主席". Taiwan News (in Chinese). Central News Agency. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  48. "Would-be KMT chairman brushes off idea of meeting with Xi 'for now'". Central News Agency. 21 December 2014.
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Political offices
Preceded by Magistrate of Taoyuan
2001–2009
Succeeded by
Preceded by Vice Premier of the Republic of China
2009–2010
Succeeded by
Preceded byas Magistrate of Taipei Mayor of New Taipei
2010–2015, 2016–2018
Succeeded by
Hou Yu-ih
Acting
Preceded by
Hou Yu-ih
Acting
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Kuomintang
2015–2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by Kuomintang nominee for President of the Republic of China
2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Kuomintang
2021–present
Incumbent