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PP RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHIN #0076/01 0110536
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110536Z JAN 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3696
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6197
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0705
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1625
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 5595
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 9886
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 7429

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000076 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AIT/W, EAP/TC, INR/EAP 
 
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL TW
SUBJECT: Profile of New Kaohsiung Mayor - Chen Chu 
 
Ref: A)  2005 Taipei 3525 B)  2006 Taipei 4152 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu was sworn in 
December 25, 2006.  During her inaugural address, she pledged that 
she and her administration would focus on boosting Kaohsiung City's 
economic development to create job opportunities for young people, 
emphasizing that she would keep her administration clean and her 
policy-making transparent.  End Summary. 
 
Chen Chu Biography 
------------------------ 
¶2.  (U) A native of I-Lan County, Chen Chu was one of the ten 
founders of the Democratic Progress Party (DPP) when it was 
established in 1986. 
 
     DOB: June 1, 1950 
     Education: B.A. in Library and Information Studies from 
      Shih Hsin University and Master in Public Affairs 
     Administration from National Sun-Yat-Sen University 
 
 Previous Positions: 
a. Chairperson of Council of Labor Affairs, Executive 
Yuan (2000-2005) 
b. Director of Social Affairs Bureau, Kaohsiung Municipal Government 
(1998-2000) 
c. Director of Social Affairs Bureau, Taipei Municipal Government 
(1994-1998) 
d. National Assembly Member (1991-1993) 
e. Director and Secretary General of Taiwan Human Right Promotion 
Association (1986-1990) 
 
¶3.  (U) Chen has been a promoter of social rights since she was 19 
years old.  She started her social activist career as an assistant 
to Kuo Yu-hsing, a well-known 1970's political activist, who was a 
friend of her father.  She was serving as the Deputy Director of the 
Formosa Magazine's Kaohsiung Branch Office when the Formosa Incident 
happened in December 1979.  After the incident, she was sentenced to 
six years and two months in jail, at which time she became friends 
with now Vice President Annette Lu.  After being released in 1986, 
she continued to promote human rights, placing particular emphasis 
on women's rights. 
 
¶4.  (U) Chen Chu is a member of the DPP's New Tide faction. She 
became an elected official when she won a seat in Kaohsiung City as 
a National Assembly member in 1991.  She then served as the Director 
of the Taipei Social Affairs Bureau when Chen Shui-bian was a Mayor 
of Taipei in 1994.  When Frank Hsieh served as the Mayor of 
Kaohsiung City, she was appointed to the Director of Kaohsiung City 
Social Affairs Bureau in 1998.  In 2000, when the DPP won the 
presidency and became the ruling party, she was appointed as the 
Chairperson of the Council of Labor Affairs.  After the Thai 
laborers' riot (ref A) occurred in August 2005 at the Kaohsiung 
Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTC) project, she resigned from her 
position to take responsibility for the incident and subsequently 
returned  to Kaohsiung to start preparing the ground to run for 
Kaohsiung Mayor, a job to which she had been aspiring for some time. 
 Because of her eloquence and heartfelt speeches, she has been a 
master of ceremonies at many DPP election campaign rallies, 
including the presidential elections rallies.  These experiences 
have made her an excellent campaigner and contributed to her win in 
the Kaohsiung mayoral election.  She has a nephew, Lee Kun-tze, who 
was elected as a Legislator in 2004 in Kaohsiung City. 
 
Chen's Associates 
----------------- 
¶5.  (SBU) The unsuccessful KMT mayoral candidate Huang Chun-ying was 
Chen's professor when she studied for her master's degree at 
National Sun-Yat-Sen University.  Because of this teacher-student 
relationship, the campaigning of the DPP in the mayoral election was 
not as negative and harsh as usual, even though it was still a tense 
mayoral election.  Chen Chu told AIT/Kaohsiung several times that 
KMT mayoral candidate Huang Chung-ying was a mild and nice person 
and they would not attack each other personally. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Chen has previously been associated with former DPP 
Chairman Shih Ming-te, the recent leader of the anti-President Chen 
movement.   Their relationship traces back to the 1970's and the 
founding of Formosa Magazine.  She said that she and Shih were just 
like "brother and sister" and Shih had taken care of her since the 
Formosa incident.  Therefore, when Shih started the anti-Chen 
movement, she did not criticize Shih but called on DPP supporters to 
 
TAIPEI 00000076  002 OF 002 
 
 
understand and tolerate Shih's ideas although she did not approve 
his actions. 
 
New Administration 
------------------ 
¶6. (U) After Mayor Chen's inauguration, she changed only one third 
of her staff - i.e., one Vice Mayor, and the Directors of the 
Information Bureau, Social Affairs Bureau, Mayor's Office, Civil 
Affairs Bureau and Military Conscription Department.  The new 
Director of the Mayor's Office stated that Chen will review her 
decisions on key slots after three months and then make adjustments 
if necessary. 
 
¶7.  (U) Based on her previous labor-related work experience, Chen 
launched her mayoral tenure by checking on laborer safety in 
Kaohsiung.  On January 8, Chen made an unannounced safety check on 
the construction of the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT) system. 
During her visit to the KMRT site at the Kaohsiung Rail Station, 
Chen instructed the Labor Safety Investigation Office to intensify 
its investigations to ensure the safety of laborers at all major 
KMRT construction sites. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶8. (SBU) Mayor Chen won the election by only 1114 votes and is now 
facing a lawsuit (ref B) by KMT mayoral candidate Huang Chun-ying 
aimed at nullifying the election.  Her strategy at the moment is to 
keep a low profile and allow the legal process to take its course. 
Figuring out ways to boost the economy of Kaohsiung City will be her 
main task because it was her major election pledge, and both the 
people and business circles in Kaohsiung have high expectations in 
this area. 
 
THIELE 
 
YOUNG