Tsai Ing-wen 2016: Taiwan Faces the Future

Center for Strategic and International Studies 1616 Rhode Island Ave, NW Second Floor Conference Room Washington, DC 20036 Dr. Tsai Ing-wen is the Chair of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the party's candidate in Taiwan's 2016 Presidential elections. Before entering public service, Dr. Tsai was a lawyer and university professor. During the 1990's she was one of the key negotiators for Taiwan's accession to the World Trade Organization. She subsequently served on the National Security Council of Taiwan as a National Security Advisor to former President Lee Teng-hui. Dr. Tsai served as Chair of the Mainland Affairs Council from 2000-2004, DPP Legislator 2004-2005 and Vice Premier in 2005. Following the DPP's election defeat in 2008, party members urged Dr. Tsai to carry on the challenging task of re-building the party and elected her as the first woman leader of a major political party in Taiwan. She served as Chair from 2008 to 2012, and was the party's presidential candidate in 2012. Dr. Tsai holds a Ph.D. in Law from the London School of Economics, a Master of Laws from Cornell University Law School, and a Bachelor of Laws from National Taiwan University.