[News Figures] Chiang Wan-an, Great-Grandson of Chiang Kai-shek, Mayor of Taipei

On the 26th, Chang Wan-an of the Kuomintang, Taiwan's main opposition party, was elected mayor of Taipei. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The most spotlighted figure in the Taiwan local elections held on the 26th was Chiang Wan-an (43), who was elected as the youngest mayor of Taipei. With the Kuomintang (KMT) successfully reclaiming the capital Taipei after 8 years, Chiang Wan-an quickly emerged as a leading candidate for the next presidential election. He is the great-grandson of Chiang Kai-shek, Taiwan's first president, and the grandson of former President Chiang Ching-kuo. Attention is focused on whether the third president from the Chiang family will be born in the 2024 presidential election.

Youngest Elected Taipei Mayor Paves the Way to Next Presidency

In Taiwan's local elections held every four years, heads of 21 counties and cities, including six special municipalities, are elected. This election was the first nationwide election during President Tsai Ing-wen's second term, serving as a midterm evaluation of the current government and a preliminary contest to gauge the direction of the 2024 presidential race. In particular, the position of Taipei mayor is regarded as a shortcut to the presidency, similar to the mayor of Seoul.

According to Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS, in this election, the main opposition party Kuomintang won in 13 locations, including four special municipalities (Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung). The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won only five places, including two special municipalities (Tainan and Kaohsiung). In the highlight race for Taipei mayor, Chiang Wan-an comfortably defeated the DPP candidate Chen Shih-chung with over 40% of the vote. With this, Chiang Wan-an earned the title of youngest Taipei mayor and became a prominent candidate for the next presidency.

Born in December 1978, Chiang Wan-an comes from a prestigious political family: his great-grandfather was Chiang Kai-shek, the first president, and his grandfather was Chiang Ching-kuo, the second president. His father is Chiang Hsiao-yen, former vice chairman of the Kuomintang. However, Chiang Hsiao-yen was an illegitimate child of former President Chiang Ching-kuo and was not recognized as a legitimate son during his father's lifetime. It is said that Chiang Wan-an himself grew up unaware that he was a descendant of Chiang Kai-shek. Chiang Hsiao-yen used his mother's surname Chang (章) until 2005, when he was finally able to change it to Chiang (蔣), his father's surname. At that time, Chiang Wan-an also changed his surname to follow his father.

Young Politician with Elite Background... Considered a Leading Candidate for Next Presidency

Chiang Wan-an graduated from National Chengchi University in Taiwan and then went to the United States for further studies. He earned a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and worked as a lawyer before returning to Taiwan in 2015. In the following year, he ran as a Kuomintang candidate in Taipei City's 3rd electoral district in the 9th Legislative Yuan election and won. He was re-elected in the 10th Legislative Yuan election in 2020, continuing his rapid rise.

On the 24th, two days before the Taiwan local elections (local time), Taipei mayoral candidate Chiang Wan-an waved his hand to supporters. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Chiang Wan-an's political stance is regarded as reformist and centrist. Although he belongs to the Kuomintang, which has a strong pro-China image, he has shown a critical view of China, distancing himself from the pro-China image. Regarding the conflict between Taiwan and China, he recently stated in a TV debate, "We will protect Taiwan's dignity." He also expressed support for Hong Kong protesters during the 2019 Hong Kong democracy movement via Facebook and clearly opposed China's "One Country, Two Systems" policy, saying, "There is no room for 'One Country, Two Systems' in Taiwan."

Some foreign media analyze Chiang Wan-an's rise and the DPP's midterm election defeat as a fatigue with the current administration's "pro-US, anti-China" stance. As China's military threat to Taiwan increases and issues of diplomacy and security overshadow livelihood concerns, the DPP lost voter support. In this context, Chiang Wan-an, who has a young and capable image and a relatively moderate attitude toward China, has emerged as a leading candidate for the next presidency. Bloomberg News commented on Chiang Wan-an, saying, "If he succeeds as mayor, he could be nominated as the KMT candidate in the 2024 presidential election," and added, "A new star has emerged in the Kuomintang, which seeks to ease tensions with China."