Chiang Pin-kung

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Chiang Pin-kung (Chinese: 江丙坤; pinyin: Jiāng Bǐngkūn) (born December 16, 1932) is a politician in the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. He is currently the acting chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) and an at-large member of the Legislative Yuan.

Chiang received his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in 1971. He was Asssistant Commercial Attaché at the ROC Embassy in Japan from 1967 to 1974, Commercial Attaché at the ROC Consulate General in Johannesburg from 1974 to 1979, Economic Counsular at the ROC Embassy in South Africa from 1979 to 1981, Deputy Director-General of the Board of Foreign Trade (BOFT) from 1982 to 1983, Secretary-General of the China External Trade Development Council from 1983 to 1988, and Director-General of the BOFT from 1988 to 1989. At the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Chiang served as Administrative Vice Minister from 1989 to 1990, Political Vice Minister from 1990 to 1993, and Minister from 1993 to 1996. From 1996 to 2000 he was Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development. In this capacity, he was the special envoy of Lee Teng-hui at the 1998 and 1999 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leader's summits (Lee was, because of pressure from the People's Republic of China, not permitted to attend). From 1998 to 2000 he was a Minister without Portfolio.

Chiang was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 2001 and was selected vice president of the legislature, a post he held until the 5th Legislative Yuan adjourned in 2005. Chiang was re-elected to the Legislative Yuan in 2004 but did not take on the vice president post, which went to the KMT's alliance People First Party. There were ongoing negotiations for Chiang to join the cabinet of Premier Frank Hsieh as vice premier, but talks fell apart between the KMT and the administration over Chiang's specific responsiblities for the post.

In March 2005, Chiang led the KMT's first official delegation to mainland China since the end of major hostilities in the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The delegation paid homage to the 72 martyrs of the Tenth Revolution in Huanghuagang before travelling to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing and the PRC's capital of Beijing. During the trip, Chiang promoted opening the three links and economic development.

On March 14, 2007, Chiang became acting chairman of the KMT after Wu Po-hsiung, who had been acting chairman since Ma Ying-jeou's resignation earlier in the year, resigned the acting chairmanship so that he could run for chairman in the upcoming party election.