Wu Den-yih

Wu was born in Caotun, Taichung, Taiwan in 1948. He attended National Taiwan University, where he was president and editor-in-chief of the University News (大學新聞) student periodical in from 1968 to 1969. One of the essays Wu wrote for the publication prompted Chiang Ching-kuo to support Wu's entry into politics. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1970. Upon graduation, he was conscripted into the military.

Upon completing his compulsory military service in the armed forces, Wu worked as a journalist for the China Times before entering starting his political career. While with the China Times, he was known for his accurate reporting and insightful commentary.

In 1973 at the age of 25, he was appointed to a position in the Taipei City Council,[1] serving as the youngest member of the council. While in the office, he was resolute in upholding the view of working with high standard of integrity. For some corrupt officials, he asserted that bending the law is even worse than the corruption itself. He further added that although corruption violates the law, the law nevertheless survives. But if one publicly manipulates the law with impunity, the law dies. Wu worked for the council for eight years.[2][3] During his time in the council, he also still worked as an editorial writer at China Times providing his opinions and thoughts on current political issues.

After serving the Taipei City Council, Wu made a successful campaign for the magistracy of Nantou County. He was elected to two terms, serving from 1981 to 1989.[3]

He was named Mayor of Kaohsiung in 1990. Wu was directly elected to a second term in office, but lost reelection to Frank Hsieh in 1998. In 2001, Wu was elected to the Legislative Yuan for the first time, winning reelection twice thereafter, in 2004 and 2008.

From 2007 to 2009, Wu was the secretary-general of the Kuomintang.

On 9 January 2017, Wu announced his candidacy for the 2017 KMT chairmanship election at the National Taiwan University Hospital International Convention Center in an event attended by former and current KMT legislators. He was the third person, after Hau Lung-pin and incumbent chairperson Hung Hsiu-chu, to announce his candidacy for the position.[14] Wu won the election on 20 May, and received a congratulatory letter from Communist Party of China General Secretary Xi Jinping. Wu responded by emphasizing the 1992 Consensus and expressed his intention to create peace across the Taiwan Strait.[15]

Following Han Kuo-yu's loss in the 2020 Taiwanese presidential election, Wu resigned from the Kuomintang chairmanship on 15 January 2020.[16][17]

Speaking in October 2016, Wu said that both sides of the Taiwan Strait should engage in a healthy competition, build its society better and give more contribution for the building up of a strong and prosperous Chinese nation. He said that Mainland China's ambition for reunifying Taiwan under one country, two systems and Taiwan's ambition for independence or unification would destabilize cross-strait relations, stressing that peace is the best choice for both sides of the strait at the moment.[18]

Wu is married to Tsai Ling-yi. They have three sons and one daughter.[19]

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