Jason Hu
Encyclopedia
Jason Hu Chih-chiang is a former official in the national government of Republic of China
. He is currently serving his second term as mayor of the central Taiwan city of Taichung
. His current term ends in early 2010 and he is currently running for re-election as mayor of the new Taichung Municipality. He is a member of the Kuomintang
(KMT), the leading party in the Pan-Blue alliance. His daughter, Ting-Ting Hu
, is a British born actress.
After graduating from Taichung Municipal First High School, then known as Chu-jen (居仁, Hanyu Pinyin: Juren) High School, Jason Hu attended National Chengchi University
where studied in the Diplomatic Studies Department. Following graduation in 1970, he went to study in the United Kingdom, first to the University of Southampton
, where he studied International Relations, then to Balliol College, University of Oxford, where he received his PhD in International Relations in 1984.
When he returned to Taiwan
, he became a professor at the Sun Yat-Sen
Institute for International Studies at National Sun Yat-sen University
. He would remain a professor there until he entered government service in 1990.
from 1991 to 1996. He then represented Taiwan's government in Washington in 1996 and 1997 as the Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office
in Washington, before a two-year stint as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 1999.
He has been trying to build up Taichung’s infrastructure since his election. He has seen the construction of a new baseball stadium, new amphitheater, and expansion of main roadways in the city. He has tried to bring a branch of the Guggenheim Museum
to Taichung, but to this point, there has been no apparent success in these efforts.
may have something to do with the Terror Poster that was used as a part of the pan-Blue presidential campaign of Lien Chan
and James Soong
in the 2004 presidential race.
and Kaohsiung
. There was also potential for serious trouble in Taichung
as well as pan-Blue supporters had begun demonstrating overnight. Mayor Hu went out at about 3:30 in the morning and was successful in dispersing the one or two thousand people by 5:30. Mayor Hu remarked, "(b)ecause I knew that if I didn't do anything by 5:30 am, people getting out of bed would find out about it on the radio or television. There'd be 10,000, 20,000 people. By then you wouldn't be able to resolve it."
challenger Lin Chia-lung
. His second term began in early 2006 and will end in early 2010.
On December 25, 2010, Taichung was merged with Taichung County and upgraded as a special municipality named "Taichung City". Hu defeated DPP candidate Su Jia-chyuan
in December 2010 for the mayoralty of the newly-created municipal city.
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. He is currently serving his second term as mayor of the central Taiwan city of Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
. His current term ends in early 2010 and he is currently running for re-election as mayor of the new Taichung Municipality. He is a member of the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(KMT), the leading party in the Pan-Blue alliance. His daughter, Ting-Ting Hu
Ting-Ting Hu
Ting-Ting "Judy" Hu is an English-born Taiwanese actress.-Biography:She was born in Oxford and moved to Taiwan at the age of 6, and later with her parents moved to the United States for high school and college. She went to Duke University gaining a B.A...
, is a British born actress.
Early life and education
Hu was born in Beijing (then known as Peiping), China, and was brought to Taiwan as a young child when the Chinese Nationalists lost their civil war with the Communists.After graduating from Taichung Municipal First High School, then known as Chu-jen (居仁, Hanyu Pinyin: Juren) High School, Jason Hu attended National Chengchi University
National Chengchi University
National Chengchi University is a prestigious public university at Muzha in Wenshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan. It is well-known for its concentration on the social sciences, law, commerce, communication, liberal arts and for its MBA programs....
where studied in the Diplomatic Studies Department. Following graduation in 1970, he went to study in the United Kingdom, first to the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
, where he studied International Relations, then to Balliol College, University of Oxford, where he received his PhD in International Relations in 1984.
When he returned to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, he became a professor at the Sun Yat-Sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
Institute for International Studies at National Sun Yat-sen University
National Sun Yat-sen University
The National Sun Yat-sen University is a public university located in Kaohsiung, Republic of China . The university is known as NSYSU ....
. He would remain a professor there until he entered government service in 1990.
Central Government
Jason Hu began his work in the central government when Taiwan was still a single-party state ruled by the Chinese Nationalist Party. He was the Director General for the Government Information OfficeGovernment Information Office
The Government Information Office is a cabinet-level agency of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China in charge of promoting government policies and regulating domestic media.-History:...
from 1991 to 1996. He then represented Taiwan's government in Washington in 1996 and 1997 as the Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office
Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office
A Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office , sometimes known as a Taipei Economic and Cultural Office or a Taipei Representative Office , is a representative office, established by the Republic of China in countries that have diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China...
in Washington, before a two-year stint as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 1999.
Taichung City Mayor
Jason Hu returned to Taichung where he spent most of his childhood to run for mayor in 2001. He was able to win the three-way race with more than forty-nine percent of the vote. Mayor Hu took office in early 2002.He has been trying to build up Taichung’s infrastructure since his election. He has seen the construction of a new baseball stadium, new amphitheater, and expansion of main roadways in the city. He has tried to bring a branch of the Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
to Taichung, but to this point, there has been no apparent success in these efforts.
Terror poster controversy
A reason for the failure to bring the Guggenheim to TaichungTaichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
may have something to do with the Terror Poster that was used as a part of the pan-Blue presidential campaign of Lien Chan
Lien Chan
Lien Chan is a politician in Taiwan. He was Premier of the Republic of China from 1993 to 1997, Vice President of the Republic of China from 1996 to 2000, and was the Chairman of the Kuomintang from 2000 to 2005...
and James Soong
James Soong
James Soong Chu-yu , is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He founded and chairs the People First Party, a smaller and more conservative party in the Kuomintang -led Pan-Blue Coalition....
in the 2004 presidential race.
Calming tensions
The presidential election itself was very close, and hot tempers broke out all over the country, especially in TaipeiTaipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
and Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
. There was also potential for serious trouble in Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
as well as pan-Blue supporters had begun demonstrating overnight. Mayor Hu went out at about 3:30 in the morning and was successful in dispersing the one or two thousand people by 5:30. Mayor Hu remarked, "(b)ecause I knew that if I didn't do anything by 5:30 am, people getting out of bed would find out about it on the radio or television. There'd be 10,000, 20,000 people. By then you wouldn't be able to resolve it."
Re-election
Jason Hu won re-election with relative ease in the December three-in-one elections with a nearly twenty percent margin of victory over Democratic Progressive PartyDemocratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
challenger Lin Chia-lung
Lin Chia-lung
Lin Chia-lung is a Taiwanese academic and political figure, perhaps best known for serving under various capacities in the ROC Executive Yuan under President Chen Shui-bian, and his unsuccessful run for Mayor of Taichung City on the Democratic Progressive Party ticket in May 2005.-Background:Lin...
. His second term began in early 2006 and will end in early 2010.
On December 25, 2010, Taichung was merged with Taichung County and upgraded as a special municipality named "Taichung City". Hu defeated DPP candidate Su Jia-chyuan
Su Jia-chyuan
Su Jia-chyuan is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party . Currently the Secretary-General of the DPP, Su was formerly a legislator and later Pingtung County Commissioner, and held national posts as Minister of the Interior and Minister of Agriculture. In 2010 he narrowly lost...
in December 2010 for the mayoralty of the newly-created municipal city.