Ma's mother,Chin Hou-hsiu [zh] (秦厚修; 1922–2014), was a well-known civil servant who was born to a highly educated Chinese family, attended a prestigious school inChangsha, and graduated fromNational Chengchi University.[9][10] His father,Ma Ho-ling (馬鶴凌; 1920–2005), was born inXiangtan and joined the Kuomintang and its youth army in 1941.[11] The couple met as classmates during theSecond Sino-Japanese War.[9] Ho-ling moved to Taiwan in 1949 during theGreat Retreat but briefly returned to mainland China, where he moved the family fromChongqing to Hong Kong.[11] In October 1951, Ho-ling finally immigrated with the family to Taiwan, where he worked as a mid-rank Kuomintang official.[12]
Ma is ofHakka ancestry and speaksHakka Chinese.[13][14] He was a one year old infant when the family moved to Taiwan.[15] Since the family wasCatholic,[16] he was raised in the Catholic faith.[17] While growing up in Taiwan in the 1950s, Ma attended Catholic services and went with his grandmother every Sunday toCatholic mass andconfession.[18] At age eight, he was reportedlybaptised a Catholic at a Catholic church in Hong Kong.[18] He also received a baptism at Resurrection church on Dali Street in Taipei near theHuaxi Street Night Market,[19] and remains the only Taiwanese president to have been a member of the Catholic Church.[20]
At age 38, Ma was named the chairman of theResearch, Development and Evaluation Commission under theExecutive Yuan—the cabinet's youngest-ever appointee.[45][46] He would go on to serve as deputy head of theMainland Affairs Council (MAC), a cabinet office responsible for managing Taiwan's relationship with mainland China.[41] For his administrative experience and close ties with Chiang, Ma was appointed to multiple KMT party positions after 1984: director of the Mainland Tasks Committee (1988), deputy secretary general of the KMT Central Committee (1990), deputy director of the KMT National Unification Committee (1991), and KMT representative to the National Assembly.[47] In 1987, Chiang tasked Ma to produce a memorandum regarding allowing Taiwanese citizens family visits to China; after it was completed, the report was received favorably by high-ranking KMT officials and implemented. At the time of Chiang's death in 1988, Ma was leading reform efforts regardingcensorship in Taiwan.[41]
In 1993, Ma received national attention when PresidentLee Teng-hui and PremierLien Chan appointed him asMinister of Justice.[48] At age 43, he was considered a "handsome new official" whose dynamism made him a "darling of public opinion".[49] He initiated hardline policies of prosecuting corruption, power abuse, and political scandals, drawing criticism from KMT party officials, some of whom were involved in, and reliant on, local corruption.[47] Among the anti-corruption programs instituted was the "Taking the Knife to Corruption" plan centered on a doctrine of "incorruptibility and ability" in government.[50] KMT officials complained that he "shook the foundations of the party" as 341 of 883 elected councilmen in 1994 were indicted for buying votes.[51] His campaigns againstvote buying while in office earned him the nickname "Mr. Clean".[52] In addition, he began an anti-drug campaign and organized the ministry to restrictnarcotics.[53]
Ma built a reputation for honesty as head of the Ministry of Justice due to "frequently jailing politicians, including candidates for elective office, for vote-buying and other corrupt practices".[54] As a result of histough on crime approach, Ma lost party support and was relieved of the position in 1996, becoming aminister without portfolio.[48] He decided to return to academia afterwards and accepted another teaching position atNational Chengchi University.[55] When he left office, Ma was one of the most popular politicians in Taiwan (alongside his ministerial successor,Liao Cheng-hao) and, according to one poll, 76.5% of respondents saw him "playing a major political role within the next two years".[56]
The 1997 Taiwanese local elections saw the Kuomintang lose a majority of their counties and cities to the Democratic Progressive Party, largely due to the efforts ofChen Shui-bian, Taipei's incumbent mayor, to travel extensively from each county and city for campaigns. Faced with a political crisis, the KMT nominated the popular Ma as its 1998 candidate for the Taipei mayoralty against Chen.[57] Ma ran on a platform of making Taipei a corruption-free "world class city" and used an image of ajogger—a representation of his penchant for jogging and charity work—as the symbol of his campaign.[58][59] He received the support of incumbent presidentLee Teng-hui, who campaigned for Ma and promoted him as a "new Taiwanese" who "loves Taiwan and promotes its interests regardless of his or her place of birth".[60] Ma's campaign slogan was "Taiwan First, Taipei First".[61]
Despite Chen's high public approval rating, Ma won the1998 Taipei mayoral election with 51.13 percent of the vote, compared to Chen's 45.91 percent share, aided with an undivided KMT conservative voting bloc (as it had been divided with theNew Party in the1994 Taiwanese local elections).[62] Voter turnout was high, averaging 80 percent.[63] The victory was a setback for both the DPP and for Chen's potential candidacy in the 2000 presidential election.[58] The election saw the Hong Kong-born Ma overcome a popular bias against "mainlanders" (waishengren), a group sometimes resented by native Taiwanese.[58] Ma's victory over Chen was also received positively by U.S. and Chinese officials, and the KMT won a legislative majority that year with 123 out of 225 seats.[64]
From 1998 to 2002, Ma's mayoralty of Taipei saw partnerships with private, civil, and media groups to expand and update the city'spublic transport, utilities, and public buildings, including the construction of sixhigh-speed railways and six highway bridges to lessen traffic congestion.[57] Heavy investments to improvepublic health,environmental protection,public education, and infrastructure in Taipei contributed to his high popularity in Taipei, which also experienced a decline in corruption.[65] He was elected a member of thestanding committee of the KMT in 2001.[57]In December 2002, Ma won reelection for a second mayoral term, defeating DPP nomineeLee Ying-yuan in a landslide, with a 64.1 percent vote majority compared to Lee's 35.8 percent share.[66] He was highly popular among both KMT voters andPeople First Party voters.[67] Support was strongest for Ma among young and middle-age party voters.[66] His landslide victory over Lee in Taipei made him an emerging KMT candidate for presidential nomination.[68]
Ma was interviewed byVoice of America during a 2006 visit to the United States
During his tenure as mayor, Ma was positively viewed for his reputation for incorruptibility. But beginning in September 2006, he was prosecuted on charges of mishandling a US$338,000 special mayoral allowance fund.[70] The corruption case dominated news coverage towards the end of 2006, just as Ma was exiting the mayoralty.[70] The Taipei high court prosecutor's office alleged that he illegally transferred a portion of the funds into his personal account.[71][72] Ma was indicted by the Taipei prosecutor's office on February 12, 2007. On the same day, he announced his candidacy in the2008 Taiwanese presidential election.[72] In accordance with party rules which prohibit an indicted person from serving as KMT chairman, Ma resigned from the Kuomintang chairmanship, although party members encouraged him to stay.[73][72] The case ended on August 14, 2007, when Ma was found not guilty and was cleared of all charges by the Taipei District Court, allowing him to enter the presidential race.[d][70][75] Throughout the affair, his popularity remained high as a majority of voters believed the charges to be politically motivated.[76][77]
On May 2, 2007, Ma was nominated as the Kuomintang's 2008 presidential nominee.[78][79] He initially consideredWang Jin-pyng, his former opponent in the KMT chairmanship race, as his running mate but, in late May, Wang declined.[80] Instead, Ma announced on June 23, 2007, that he had chosen former premier and economic ministerVincent Siew as his vice-presidential running mate.[81]
Ma and Siew primarily campaigned on economic and foreign policy issues, including fostering closer relations with mainland China and improving Taiwan's economic situation by increasing cross-strait trade and investment.[82] Ma advocated a "6-3-3 plan" of increasingGDP growth to 6 percent annually, reducing unemployment to 3 percent by implementing 12 infrastructure projects totaling US$130 billion, and increasing theGDP per capita to US$30,000. He and Siew advocated lowering taxes and addressingwage stagnation, inflation, andeconomic inequality.[80] In foreign policy, Ma advocated "Three Noes": no formal independence, no unification, and no use of force.[83][84] Their DPP opponents were former premiersFrank Hsieh—a pragmatist in dealing with cross-strait relations—andSu Tseng-chang.[82] Both Hsieh and Ma were adherents to keeping thestatus quo between China and Taiwan,[83] with Ma more willing to communicate with Beijing officials.[85]
On March 22, 2008 (election day), Ma defeated Hsieh in alandslide victory.[86][87] Out of 13,221,609 votes cast (a voter turnout of 76.33 percent), Ma received a clear majority of 7,658,724 votes (58.45 percent) compared to Hsieh's 5,445,239 (41.55 percent),[88] the most votes received by any presidential candidate in Taiwanese history.[89] The Ma-Siew ticket flipped multiple traditionally DPP electoral districts, includingKaohsiung City (where Hsieh had been mayor) andTainan City (near the birthplace of Chen Shui-bian).[90] Districts with largeHakka andaboriginal Taiwanese populations showed the highest levels of support for Ma.[91] The result of the presidential election marked an end to eight years of DPP control in the presidency, returning it to the KMT.[92]
The overwhelming victory in the 2008 presidential election gave Ma political mandate to make changes in Taiwan.[93] He was inaugurated as president on May 20, 2008, andsworn into office byLai In-jaw, the acting head of theJudicial Yuan, withChow Mei-ching and former president Chen Shui-bian in attendance.[94] Ma's inauguration speech repeated his promises to establish closer economic and diplomatic ties with mainland China without unification.[95] That same month,Time magazine listed Ma as one of the100 most influential people in the world.[96] He won another landslide in theKMT chairmanship election in July for a second term as chair,[97] winning with over 90 percent of the vote in July 2009 as the sole candidate.[98] He was inaugurated as chairman on October 17, 2009.[99]
Eligible for a second term, Ma ran for reelection as president in 2012. After incumbent Vice President Vincent Siew announced his retirement and decision not to seek a second term, PremierWu Den-yih was chosen to replace Siew on the KMT's2012 ticket.[100][101] Ma was re-elected president with 51.6% of the vote, defeatingDemocratic Progressive Party chairwomanTsai Ing-wen.[102] The ruling party also retained its majority in thelegislative elections held on the same day.[103]
After his success in the presidential election, Ma Ying-jeou said he had no immediate plans to visitmainland China and would work to fulfill his campaign pledge to improve relations with mainland China.[104] He proposed a policy of "Flexible Diplomacy" in foreign affairs.[105] Instead of confronting the PRC in every international encounter, Ma aimed to build a certain degree of mutual trust across the Taiwan Strait, which could later be extended to the international stage. In August 2008, Ma undertook his first foreign trip as president, focusing on strengthening relations with Taiwan's Latin American allies.[106][107] In 2009, Taiwan received an invitation from theWorld Health Organization (WHO) to attend the annualWorld Health Assembly (WHA) meeting as an observer under the name "Chinese Taipei."[108]
Based on the1992 Consensus,semi-official cross-strait talks between theStraits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and its Chinese counterpart, theAssociation for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), resumed in June 2008.[109] Ma launched direct weekendcross-strait charter flights, opened Taiwan to mainland Chinese tourists, eased restrictions on Taiwanese investment in mainland China and approved measures allowing mainland Chinese investors to buy Taiwan stocks.[110] TheTime magazine noted that in less than three months, "relations between Taiwan and China have arguably seen the most rapid advancement in the six-decade standoff between the two governments."
After thesecond Chen–Chiang summit, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland resumed direct sea, air, and mail links on 15 December 2008, ending an almost six-decade-long ban between the two sides on such trips.[111][112] As many as 108 flights per week as well as 60 cargo flights per month were scheduled, evenly divided between Taiwanese and mainland Chinese airlines.[113][114][115] Shipping companies, due to shorter voyages and time savings, are able to save up to US$120 million (TWD $4 billion) each year. The two sides also agreed that neither the ROC nor the PRC flag will be displayed when a ship enters port.[116] In July 2009, Ma rejected the proposal to open the airspace of the Taiwan Strait to accommodate higher passenger traffic, citing that the Taiwan Strait airspace is important to Taiwanese security.[117]
One of Ma's promises as presidential candidate was called the "633 Plan", which promisedeconomic growth rate of 6%,unemployment rate of less than 3%, andper capita income of more thanUS$30,000. However, theGreat Recession around the world caused about 2,000 companies in Taiwan to go bankrupt in the six months following Ma's inauguration, according to a governmental commercial office in Taipei.[121] At the time, the high unemployment rate (~4.06% in July) and consumer price index[122] three months after Ma's inauguration were unprecedented, having not been seen in 28 years.[123] TheTaiwan Stock Exchange also fell to two-year lows in September 2008.[124] TheFinancial Times describes Taiwan's economic downturn as results from "downward pressure driven by global factors". Analysts also point out that, "during its first 100 days in office, the government has made a series of bold steps to deregulate economic cross-strait ties. But as these policies coincided with the global downturn and foreign investors had already bought Taiwan stocks heavily before the election, betting on the reforms, the island's market has seen a sell-off worse than the regional average."[125]
On 11 September 2008, Ma's cabinet unveiled a $5.6-billion USD ($180-billion TWD) economic stimulus package. Among the items of the package were infrastructure projects, economic incentives to small businesses, and other tax cuts. Stock transaction taxes were also halved for the next six months.[126] Taiwan's government reported that the economy shrank by 1% in the third quarter and further contracted 8.36% in the last quarter of 2008.[127] Although growth resumed in the fourth quarter of 2009, the economy still shrank by 1.87% for the year.[128] In 2010, Taiwan's economy rebounded strongly, expanding by 10%.[129]
Typhoon Morakot, the worst typhoon to strike Taiwan in fifty years, hit Taiwan on 8 August 2009. In the storm's aftermath, President Ma was criticized for his handling of the disaster by both sides of Taiwan's political spectrum. Many news outlets likened Typhoon Morakot to being Ma's "Hurricane Katrina."[130][131] Multiple opinion polls in Taiwan showed a sharp double-digit drop in Ma's approval rating, with figures falling to between 16% and 29%.[132][133]
Following pressure from the opposition, Ma took steps to publicly apologize for his government's failure to respond swiftly with rescue and recovery efforts. Ma canceled the 2009 National Day celebrations and his state visit to theSolomon Islands for the Third Taiwan-South Pacific summit.[134] PremierLiu Chao-shiuan, Defense MinisterChen Chao-min, and Vice Foreign MinisterAndrew Hsia all tendered their resignations.[135][136]Wu Den-yih was appointed as the new premier, and the cabinet underwent a reshuffle.[137]
In September 2013, President Ma accused SpeakerWang Jin-pyng of influence peddling, resulting in apower struggle.[138] Following the KMT's unprecedented loss in the2014 local elections, Ma resigned as KMT chairman.[139] The KMT lost its majority in theLegislative Yuan during the final period of Ma's presidency, and Ma eventually handed over power to opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen in 2016.[140]
Ma meeting with U.S. SenatorCory Gardner during his 2017 visit to the United States
On 1 June 2016, it was announced that Ma planned to visitHong Kong on 15 June to attend the 2016 Award for Editorial Excellence dinner at theHong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and would deliver a speech oncross-strait relations and East Asia.[141] The Tsai Ing-wen administration blocked Ma from traveling to Hong Kong,[142] and he gave prepared remarks via teleconference instead.[143]
In August 2016,Soochow University confirmed that Ma had rejoined the faculty as a lecturer.[144] On 26 September 2016, Ma gave his first lecture which was about thehistory of Taiwan.[145] Yet, as a chair professor of law, Ma was protested by students at Soochow University to ask for his resignation since he has repeatedly issued controversial legal opinions.[146] In November 2016, Ma attended the World Chinese Economic Summit inMalacca,Malaysia, where he also served as one of the speakers. It was his first overseas visit since leaving office.[147][148] Since 2016, Ma has made multiple visits to the United States, during which he delivered speeches at academic institutions and policy forums.[149][150]
In Taiwanese politics, Ma established the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, named after himself, and personally served as its chairman in 2018.[151][152] The foundation aims to identify the right path for the nation and to help young people find direction for their future.[153] He served as a witness during the negotiations between the Kuomintang (KMT) and theTaiwan People's Party (TPP) to form a joint presidential ticket for the2024 election;[154] however, the talks ultimately collapsed without an agreement.[155]
In a December 2005Newsweek International interview, when asked about unification, Ma stated that "for our party, the eventual goal is reunification, but we don't have a timetable."[161]
In February 2006, Ma published an op-ed inThe Wall Street Journal titledTaiwan's 'Pragmatic Path'.[162] In the article, Ma stated that neither unification nor independence was likely for Taiwan in the foreseeable future and that the status quo should be maintained. He emphasized that the island's future should be determined by its people, rather than the government. During the same month, while visiting Europe, the KMT ran an advertisement in theLiberty Times with the same title, asserting that Taiwan's future could take many possible directions—be it unification, independence, or maintaining the status quo—and that such decisions must be made by the people.[163] The advertisement, which stated that independence is an option for the people of Taiwan, sparked criticism within the party and raised concerns in the PRC.[164]Wang Jin-pyng felt gratified for the policy shift, since Wang himself made a similar statement during the 2004 election, butJames Soong said he was "shocked" andLien Chan said he was never consulted.[165][166] Ma clarified later that the KMT policy of retaining the status quo has not changed and has reiterated this position several times;[167] further, he has also reiterated his party's support of the one-China policy.[168]
Ma supported autonomy forTibet.[169] On 17 March 2008, Ma threatened to boycott theBeijing Olympics if elected, should theTibetan unrest spiral out of control.[170] After he was elected president, he refused to let theDalai Lama visit Taiwan, citing the timing as inappropriate.[171] He later approved a visit by the Dalai Lama to lead prayers forTyphoon Morakot victims in August 2009.[172]
President Ma Ying-jeou paying homage to theYellow Emperor in 2015
In April 2009, President Ma became the first ROC president to pay homage in person to the legendaryYellow Emperor who is believed to have founded China as a nation approximately 5,000 years ago. Accompanied by all his government leaders, the president sang the ROC's national anthem as the starter.[173][174] Ma's spokesman said the president wanted to pay his respects to the Yellow Emperor onNational Tomb-Sweeping Day in person to stress the importance of the Chinese ancestor-worshipping tradition. However, others saw the precedent-making ceremonies at theMartyrs' Shrine as meant to be a show by President Ma of his unprofessed commitment to maintain a close relationship between Taiwan and mainland China.[173] During his time at the tomb of the Yellow Emperor, Ma said that most Taiwanese people have a strong belief in Chinese culture and national identity.[174]
In June 2025, Ma toldUnited Daily News that his position is that "the two sides of the strait should pursue peaceful and democratic unification". He also said unification should not be achieved with "the use or threat of force and must "respect the will of the people of Taiwan".[175]
Ma Ying-jeou emphasizing the existence of the1992 Consensus
Ma Ying-jeou has emphasized the "1992 Consensus" as the existing basis for constructive dialogue and exchange between mainland China and Taiwan. On 2 September 2008, Ma declared that the relations between Taiwan and mainland China were a "special relationship not between two nations", but one that can be handled invoking the 1992 Consensus between the two sides.[176][177] While the governing authorities on mainland China and Taiwan cannot recognise each other as a legitimate government due to legal and constitutional reasons, Ma seeks that they would refrain from denying the other side being thede facto governing authority of one area of the state.[178]
In 2006, Ma Ying-jeou proposed the "Five Noes" to maintain the status quo, which largely reiterated the content ofChen Shui-bian's "Four Noes and One Without."[168] During a visit to the United States in March 2006, Ma further articulated a proactive strategy for cross-strait relations, termed the "Five Do's."[179] These initiatives included: resuming cross-strait dialogue based on the 1992 Consensus; signing a peace agreement and establishing a mechanism for mutual military trust; creating a joint cross-strait market; enhancing Taiwan's participation in the international community; and strengthening cultural and educational exchanges.
Ma consistently expressed concern over the1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre and supported democratization in China.[180][181] However, prior to the 20th anniversary, he postponed and eventually canceled a scheduled meeting withWang Dan, a former student leader of the 1989 protests.[182] Ma also received criticism from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party for allegedly praising the PRC on human rights during the anniversary commemorations.[183]
Ma voiced support for the acceptance ofsimplified Chinese for written text and the continued use oftraditional Chinese for printed text.[184] Ma had to clarify his remarks regarding simplified characters at a 15-minute speech before the sixth International Conference on Internet Chinese Education on 19 June 2009. Ma reiterated his policy of urging the Chinese to learn the traditional system; his previous call was for the ability of Taiwan's population to recognize simplified characters and not for simplified characters to supplant the traditional system in Taiwan.[185][186] In a 2004 speech hosted by Microsoft Taiwan, he had proposed for traditional characters (繁體字; literally: complicated characters) to be instead called 'orthodox characters' (正體字) (then the translation 'traditional Chinese characters' would be more appropriate as well).[187] Ma advocated the use ofHanyu Pinyin, developed in the PRC, and made it the official romanization system in Taiwan in 2009.[188][189]
In 2015, Ma introduced the "South China Sea Peace Initiative," advocating for the peaceful resolution of disputes and the joint development of resources in theSouth China Sea.[195] The following year, he visitedTaiping Island to reaffirm the ROC's sovereignty over the territory and its status as an island.[196]
Ma is the uncle ofGene Yu, an American, formerUnited States Army Special Forces captain and the author of theYellow Green Beret: Stories of an Asian-American Stumbling Around U.S. Army Special Forces series of books.[202] Yu was instrumental in negotiating, locating and working to free Taiwanese citizen Chang An-wei fromAbu Sayyaf militants with Filipino special forces and private security contractors in 2013.[203]
^Ma's birthplace later became a topic of political contention during his presidency. He claimed that he "was conceived in Taiwan and grew up in Taiwan." A controversy alleging that Ma was born inShenzhen and thus was a citizen of the People's Republic of China was dismissed when he publicly presented his birth records.[5]
^The Kuomintang Sun Yat-sen Scholarship was established in 1960 to "send outstanding young party members abroad for advanced studies." Other than Ma, recipients of the scholarship includeKing Pu-tsung andChiang Pin-kung. When the program was discontinued by the KMT, Ma reinstated it in 2010.[28]
^Ma's dissertation was later published in 1984 by theUniversity of Maryland Law School with a foreword byLouis B. Sohn and a Chinese version was published in 1986 titled "The Diaoyutai Islands and the Seabed Delimitation in the East China Sea under the new law of the sea" (Chinese: 從新海洋法論釣魚台列嶼與東海劃界問題).[30]
^Prosecutors appealed the decision to the TaipeiHigh Court, which again cleared Ma of all charges in December 2007. Prosecutors then appealed again to theSupreme Court of Taiwan, which finally ended the case in April 2008 with Ma still being cleared of all charges.[74]
^Schubert, Gunter (2022),"Ma Ying-Jeou", in Hsiao, Hsin-Huang Michael (ed.),Encyclopedia of Taiwan Studies Online,Brill Publishers, retrieved26 January 2025.
^Liu 刘, Shuangshuang 双双 (20 July 2005).湖南表兄称马英九祖籍湖南湘潭 祖坟保存完好 [Hunan cousin says Ma Ying-jeou's ancestral home is Xiangtan, Hunan, and his ancestral grave is well-preserved.] (in Simplified Chinese).Xinhua News Agency. Archived fromthe original on 22 July 2005. Retrieved18 April 2020.十五年前曾在台湾与表弟短暂相聚的刘肇礼说，在父亲的言传身教下，英九能说一口流利的湖南话，
Corpus of Political Speeches Free access to political speeches by Ma Ying-jeou and other Chinese politicians, developed by Hong Kong Baptist University Library
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