Taiwanese right-wing politician, vice-president 198488, president 19882000, and Kuomintang (see
Guomindang) party leader 19882001. The country's first island-born leader, he was viewed as a reforming technocrat. He was directly elected president in March 1996, defying Chinese opposition to the democratic contest.
He lost presidential elections in 2000 to the opposition leader, Chen Shui-bian. The following year he was replaced as leader of Kuomintang by Lien Chan, who supported reunification with China.
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