Wang Jin-pyng (; born March 17, 1941) is a Taiwanese politician. He served as President of the Legislative Yuan from 1999 to 2016, which makes him Taiwan's longest-serving legislative speaker. Once a leading figure of the Kuomintang (KMT), Wang brokered deals between the KMT and opposition DPP. He was replaced by Democratic Progressive Party's Su Jia-chyuan as president of the Legislative Yuan after a decisive victory for the DPP in the 2016 election.
Early life Wang was born in a simple rural community in Rochiku Village, Takao Prefecture, Taiwan, Empire of Japan (now Luzhu, Kaohsiung). He distinguished himself in sports as a student athlete during his school years. His teachers encouraged him to enter the physical education department in university.
Wang finished his elementary school in Tainan Municipal Dashe Elementary School. He finished his junior and senior high school at the Tainan First Senior High School in Tainan, where he was the team leader of the school's tennis team. After high school, Want attended National Taiwan Normal University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in mathematics in 1965.
Early career Upon graduation, Wang worked as a mathematics teacher for a year at the Provincial Ging-Der Senior High School in Changhua County. His mentorship as a teacher is described as the turning point in businessman Samuel Yin’s life. After his mandatory military service in the Republic of China Military Police was completed, Wang returned home to work for the family-run food processing company dealing with export and import trade.
In early 1975, he represented his family business in the founding of Kaohsiung Industrial Association. He was elected as the director-in-chief of the association. His job involved travelling throughout Taiwan to inspect member factories and led to his entry into politics later that year.
Political career
Legislative Yuan Following his victory in the 1975 supplementary legislative election for the Kaohsiung County constituency, Wang took his seat in the Legislative Yuan on 1 February 1976 from being held by Huang Tung-shu previously. He has since been reelected eight times.
From 1976 until 1990, he was a member of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Yuan. In 1980, 1987 and 1990, Wang acted many times to assemble members of the Financial Committee and put his efforts forward in making some possible historical policies, such as introducing innovative tax system, opening up the establishment of security firms, lifting prohibition of setting up private banks, removing foreign exchange control schemes and other policies.
Kuomintang On 10 April 1990, Wang was appointed as the vice chairman of the Central Policy Committee of the KMT, and then on 17 November 1990, he was appointed as the chairman of the Central Policy Committee's Finance Commission. Wang became the KMT's first director-general of the Committee on Coordination between Party and Government and the KMT caucus convener in the Legislative Yuan in 1992 following the retirement of all of Legislative Yuan first senior members on 31 December 1991. During that time, Wang was posted as KMT supervisor and started to search for a mechanism to make cross party negotiation possible.
On 27 August 1993, Wang was elected to become the member of KMT Central Committee, and subsequently the member of Central Standing Committee during the 14th nationwide representative meeting of the party.
China-Japan Parliamentary Member Interactions Association In 1993, Wang was appointed as the director of China-Japan Parliamentary Member Interactions Association, where he became more active in promoting parliamentary diplomacy.
Taiwan Foundation for Democracy In 2003 Wang was elected as the chairman of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, which was a democracy developing project set up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ROC.
Other organizations Wang also holds other public welfare positions, such as the president of the Council for Taiwan Major League Baseball Association, board chairman of the Formosa Cancer Foundation, President of the Council for National Volunteer Fire Fighters' Association, honored board chairman of the Charity Mothers Association and honored board chairman of the National No-Barrier Space Development Association.
Legislative Yuan vice presidency On 1 February 1993, Wang became the KMT candidate for the nomination of vice president post of the Legislative Yuan. Supported by the majority, he secured his post and started to lead the congress. He renewed his three-year post in 1996, serving the post consecutively from 1 February 1993 until 31 January 1999.
During his office term, Wang successfully completed the passing of many important laws, such as the Self-governance Law for Provinces and Counties, Municipal Self-governance Law, National Health Insurance Law, February 28 Incident Disposition and Compensation Act, Joint Development Law, Presidential and vice presidential Election and Recall Law, Compulsory Automobile Liability Insurance Law, Government Procurement Law, Three Laws Pertaining to National Security, Three Laws Pertaining to Communication.
Wang was also actively involved in promoting congress diplomacy. He had represented the Legislative Yuan as vice president visiting abroad and also as representative to receive guests from foreign countries.
Kuomintang vice chairmanship
Wang had been the vice chairman of KMT in 2000–2005.
ROC presidential election During the 2004 presidential election, he served as campaign manager for the Lien Chan and James Soong ticket. Considered part of the pro-localization faction in the KMT, his strong support and active campaigning for the Lien-Soong ticket was considered very significant as it blunted criticism that Lien-Soong were anti-Taiwan. There were calls, which he ignored, from many figures such as Lee Teng-hui for him to abandon Lien and join the Taiwan Solidarity Union before the election.
Prior to July 2005, he was, along with Ma Ying-jeou touted as possible presidential candidates for 2008. As a southerner, a native Hoklo speaker, and a legislator and person identified with the pro-localization faction of the Kuomintang, he was expected to provide balance to Ma Ying-jeou, who was rooted in northern Taiwan, and someone more identified with the unification-leaning parts of the party.
2005 KMT chairmanship election However, on 16 July 2005, Ma defeated Wang in the first competitive election for KMT chairmanship by a 72% to 28% margin, a margin larger than anticipated by either camp or news sources, despite Wang's receiving a last-minute endorsement by People First Party chairman James Soong, who had retained significant following within the KMT. Immediately after the election, Ma stated repeatedly that he wished Wang to remain as first-ranked deputy chairman. Wang, however, has so far rebuffed the gesture, instead stating that he wishes to serve as "permanent volunteer," and snubbed Ma by refusing to meet with him. Wang has, indeed, accepted a party post that is incompatible with vice chairmanship, effectively ending the possibility that he would be vice chairman, although after meeting with Wang, Ma said that he would "leave the position open" for Wang.
Candidate Total votes cast Percentage of vote Ma Ying-jeou (W) 370,056 72.36% Wang Jin-pyng 143,268 27.64% Total eligible voters 1,045,467 Total ballots cast 524,487 Voter turnout 50.17% Total ballots counted 518,324 Disqualified ballots 6,163
Most political commentators believe the KMT chairmanship election definitively put Ma Ying-jeou as the front-runner for the KMT nomination in 2008; this was proved correct as Ma won the KMT nomination for 2008 president on 2 May, virtually uncontested. Although Wang did not join the primary election, Wang has also not ruled out running as an independent. Though Ma had offered Wang the nomination as the KMT's vice presidential candidate, Wang recently declined the offer, saying that the pressure of being legislative Speaker was too great for him to be able to consider the offer.Taiwan's Ma rebuffed in bid to bring rival onto presidential ticket, The China Post, 31 May 2007. After weeks of talks and discussions among the Pan-Blue heavy weights including Lien, Wang, Wu and Ma, there was no agreement made to field a Ma-Wang President-Vice President ticket. At the end, Wang decided to turn down Ma's offer of Vice Presidency, but stated that he would do his utmost to support Ma in the upcoming election.
Legislative Yuan presidency
4th Legislative Yuan Due to his easygoing nature and willingness to listen to differing perspectives, Wang was elected as president of the 4th Legislative Yuan on 1 February 1999 with a majority vote of 135 out of 225 seats. Within just one year after taking his new post, Wang promoted adjustments in organization, reinforced staff members, crossed party negotiation according to the five major Legislative Reorganization Act. By doing so, he opened a model in congress reform and contributed to the completion of discussion by the end of the 4th session.
During the first half of the session, Wang had passed a total of 60 new laws, confirming the plan to move Legislative Yuan to a new place. In the second half of the session, a total of 96 laws were passed, the second highest in ROC history when 148 laws were passed in 1948.
5th Legislative Yuan The KMT lost its majority for the first time in the 2001 legislative election, but through the narrow Pan-Blue Coalition majority, he was reelected president for the 5th Legislative Yuan on 1 February 2002. As Legislative Yuan President, Wang has gained a reputation of being a soft-spoken figure capable of reaching across party lines.
6th Legislative Yuan
2005 Busan APEC In the APEC meeting at South Korea in late 2005, President Chen Shui-bian nominated Wang as the representative for Chinese Taipei, the designated name for ROC in APEC. The KMT approved of the nomination. This nomination did not become a reality, however, as the PRC pressured South Korea to ask for a second nomination. Despite lobbying by former South Korean president Kim Young-sam, who visited Chen in that time period, Chen was forced to name another person. This cat fight actually exacerbated Taiwan's image, as the summit yearbook did not even mention Taiwan's presence. The host explanation was that the second nomination was submitted well past the deadline for the yearbook.
7th Legislative Yuan Until 2011, Kuomintang legislators were barred from seeking an at-large third term. The restriction was lifted that year, for politicians who made "special contributions to the party, meet the needs of the party and have served as legislative speaker," and Wang continued serving as Yuan President.
During the final plenary session of the 7th Legislative Yuan on 14 December 2011, Wang said that the Yuan had passed a total of 896 bills and resolutions over the past four years, including the Special Statute for Distributing Consumption Vouchers for Revitalizing the Economy, Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement and legislation regarding the 2G national health insurance program, gender equality and justice in housing. Wang encouraged the yuan to continue its oversight functions on behalf of the public in the future as a power to promote the development of Taiwan.
8th Legislative Yuan
Influence peddling