List of Presidents of the Republic of China

Not to be confused with the List of Presidents of the People's Republic of China.

To avoid confusion, all the names on this list follow the Eastern order convention (family name first, given name second) for consistency.

Presidential Office of the ROC Beiyang Government in Beijing (1912–1928).

Presidential Office of the ROC Nationalist Government in Nanjing (1928–1949).

Presidential Office of the ROC Government in Taiwan (1949–current).

This is a list of the Presidents of the Republic of China (1912–present). The Republic of China's President is called 總統 (zǒngtǒng), and from 1912 to 1928, 大總統 (dàzǒngtǒng).

Timeline of Presidents

The list

Non-Partisan Tongmenghui Beiyang clique, etc. Progressive Kuomintang (Nationalist) Democratic Progressive

Presidents of the Provisional Government

period: 1 January 1912 – 10 October 1913

№	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Political Party	Vice President
1	Sun Yat-sen 孫文 Sūn Wén (1866–1925)	1 January 1912	10 March 1912	Tongmenghui	Li Yuanhong
		1911		Tongmenghui	Li Yuanhong
		The first President of the Provisional Government
2	Yuan Shikai 袁世凱 Yuán Shìkǎi (1859–1916)	10 March 1912	10 October 1913	Beiyang clique	Li Yuanhong
		1912		Beiyang clique	Li Yuanhong
		The second President of the Provisional Government

Presidents of the Beiyang Government

period: 10 October 1913 – 2 June 1928

№	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Political Party	Vice President
1	Yuan Shikai 袁世凱 Yuán Shìkǎi (1859–1916)	10 October 1913	6 June 1916^[1]	Beiyang clique	Li Yuanhong
		1913		Beiyang clique	Li Yuanhong
		Died in office.
2	Li Yuanhong 黎元洪 Lí Yuánhóng (1864–1928)	7 June 1916	17 July 1917^[2]	Progressive Party	Feng Guozhang
2	Li Yuanhong 黎元洪 Lí Yuánhóng (1864–1928)	As Vice-President under Yuan Shikai, Li became the president after Yuan's death.
3	Feng Guozhang 馮國璋 Féng Guózhāng (1859–1919)	17 July 1917	10 October 1918	Zhili clique	vacant
3	Feng Guozhang 馮國璋 Féng Guózhāng (1859–1919)	Due to Manchu Restoration, Li Yuanhong fled the presidential palace and appointed Vice President Feng Guozhang as Acting President.
4	Xu Shichang 徐世昌 Xú Shìchāng (1855–1939)	10 October 1918	2 June 1922	Anhui clique	vacant
		1918		Anhui clique	vacant

—	Zhou Ziqi 周自齊 Zhōu Zìqí (1871–1923)	2 June 1922	11 June 1922	Communications Clique	vacant
—	Zhou Ziqi 周自齊 Zhōu Zìqí (1871–1923)
5	Li Yuanhong 黎元洪 Lí Yuánhóng (1864–1928)	11 June 1922	13 June 1923	Research Clique	vacant
5	Li Yuanhong 黎元洪 Lí Yuánhóng (1864–1928)
—	Gao Lingwei 高凌霨 Gāo Língwèi (1868–1939)	14 June 1923	10 October 1923	Non-partisan	vacant
—	Gao Lingwei 高凌霨 Gāo Língwèi (1868–1939)
6	Cao Kun 曹錕 Cáo Kūn (1862–1938)	10 October 1923	2 November 1924	Zhili clique	vacant
		1923		Zhili clique	vacant

—	Huang Fu 黃郛 Huáng Fú (1883–1936)	2 November 1924	24 November 1924	Non-partisan	vacant
—	Huang Fu 黃郛 Huáng Fú (1883–1936)
7	Duan Qirui 段祺瑞 Duàn Qíruì (1865–1936)	24 November 1924	20 April 1926	Anhui clique	vacant
7	Duan Qirui 段祺瑞 Duàn Qíruì (1865–1936)	Duan was the Provisional Chief Executive instead of President.
—	Hu Weide 胡惟德 Hú Wéidé (1863–1933)	20 April 1926	13 May 1926	Non-partisan	vacant
—	Hu Weide 胡惟德 Hú Wéidé (1863–1933)
—	Yan Huiqing (W.W. Yan) 顏惠慶 Yán Huìqìng (1877–1950)	13 May 1926	22 June 1926	Non-partisan	vacant
—	Yan Huiqing (W.W. Yan) 顏惠慶 Yán Huìqìng (1877–1950)
—	Du Xigui 杜錫珪 Dù Xīguī (1875–1933)	22 June 1926	1 October 1926	Zhili clique	vacant
—	Du Xigui 杜錫珪 Dù Xīguī (1875–1933)
—	Koo Vi-kyuin (V.K. Wellington Koo) 顧維鈞 Gù Wéijūn (1887–1985)	1 October 1926	17 June 1927	Non-partisan	vacant
—
8	Zhang Zuolin 張作霖 Zhāng Zuòlín (1875–1928)	18 June 1927	2 June 1928	Fengtian clique	vacant
8	Zhang Zuolin 張作霖 Zhāng Zuòlín (1875–1928)	Zhang was the Generalissimo of the Beiyang Military Government instead of President.

Chairmen of the Nationalist Government

period: 7 February 1928 – 20 May 1948

The head of state of the Nationalist Government (國民政府) in this period (political tutelage, 訓政時期).

№	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Political Party	Vice President
1	Tan Yankai 譚延闓 Tán Yánkǎi (1880–1930)	7 February 1928	10 October 1928	Kuomintang	vacant
1	Tan Yankai 譚延闓 Tán Yánkǎi (1880–1930)
2	Chiang Kai-shek 蔣中正 Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng (1887–1975)	10 October 1928	15 December 1931	Kuomintang	vacant
2	Chiang Kai-shek 蔣中正 Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng (1887–1975)
3	Lin Sen 林森 Lín Sēn (1868–1943)	15 December 1931	1 August 1943	Kuomintang	vacant
3	Lin Sen 林森 Lín Sēn (1868–1943)	Died in office.
4	Chiang Kai-shek 蔣中正 Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng (1887–1975)	1 August 1943	20 May 1948	Kuomintang	vacant
4	Chiang Kai-shek 蔣中正 Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng (1887–1975)

Presidents after the 1947 Constitution

period: 20 May 1948 – 20 May 1996

№	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Political Party	Vice President
1	Chiang Kai-shek 蔣中正 Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng (1887–1975)	20 May 1948	21 January 1949	Kuomintang	Li Zongren
		1948		Kuomintang	Li Zongren
		Resigned following a succession of defeats by the Communists in the Chinese Civil War.
—	Li Zongren 李宗仁 Lǐ Zōngrén (1890–1969)	21 January 1949	1 March 1950	Kuomintang	vacant
—	Li Zongren 李宗仁 Lǐ Zōngrén (1890–1969)	Acting President on Chiang Kai-shek's resignation. Had an antagonistic relationship with Chiang. After the fall of Guangdong, Li flew to New York and denounced Chiang.
1	Chiang Kai-shek 蔣中正 Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng (1887–1975)	1 March 1950	5 April 1975	Kuomintang	Li Zongren (1950–1954) Chen Cheng^[3] (1954–1965) vacant (1965–1966) Yen Chia-kan (1966–1975)
		1954, 1960, 1966, 1972		Kuomintang
		Defeated on the mainland; moved the government to Taipei. Died in office.
2	Yen Chia-kan (C.K. Yen) 嚴家淦 Yán Jiāgàn (1905–1993)	6 April 1975	20 May 1978	Kuomintang	vacant
2	Yen Chia-kan (C.K. Yen) 嚴家淦 Yán Jiāgàn (1905–1993)	Premier (1963–1972). As Vice-President under Chiang Kai-shek, Yan succeeded to the Presidency on Chiang's death and completed Chiang's term.
3	Chiang Ching-kuo 蔣經國 Jiǎng Jīngguó (1910–1988)	20 May 1978	13 January 1988	Kuomintang	Hsieh Tung-min (1978–1984) Lee Teng-hui (1984–1988)
		1978, 1984		Kuomintang	Hsieh Tung-min (1978–1984) Lee Teng-hui (1984–1988)
		Son of Chiang Kai-shek. Launched the Ten Major Construction Projects. Ended martial law. Died in office.
4	Lee Teng-hui 李登輝 Lǐ Dēnghuī (1923– )	13 January 1988	20 May 1996	Kuomintang	vacant (1988–1990) Li Yuan-zu (1990–1996)
		1990		Kuomintang	vacant (1988–1990) Li Yuan-zu (1990–1996)
		As Vice-President under Chiang Ching-kuo, Yan succeeded to the Presidency on Chiang's death and completed his term. First native Taiwanese President. Oversaw democratic reforms.

Presidents after the introduction of Direct Election

period: 20 May 1996 – present

№	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office Electoral mandates		Political Party	Vice President
4	Lee Teng-hui 李登輝 Lǐ Dēnghuī (1923– )	20 May 1996	20 May 2000	Kuomintang	Lien Chan
		1996 5,813,699 (54.0%)		Kuomintang	Lien Chan
		Mayor of Taipei (1978–1981), Governor of Taiwan (1981–1984), Vice President (1984–1988). First president elected by direct election.
5	Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁 Chén Shuǐbiǎn (1950– )	20 May 2000	20 May 2008	Democratic Progressive Party	Annette Lu
		2000 4,977,737 (39.3%) 2004 6,446,900 (50.11%)		Democratic Progressive Party	Annette Lu
		Member of the Legislative Yuan for Taipei 1st District (1990–1994), Mayor of Taipei (1994–1998). First Pan-Green and pro-Taiwan independence president.
6	Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 Mǎ Yīngjiǔ (1950– )	20 May 2008	Incumbent	Kuomintang	Vincent Siew (2008–2012) Wu Den-yih (2012– )
		2008 7,658,724 (58.45%) 2012 6,891,139 (51.60%)		Kuomintang	Vincent Siew (2008–2012) Wu Den-yih (2012– )
		Minister of Justice (1993–1996), Mayor of Taipei (1998–2006).

References

↑ Restored the monarchy from 12 December 1915 to 22 March 1916.
↑ Zhang Xun restored Qing Empire from 1 July to 12 July in 1917.
↑ Chen Cheng, Died on 5 March 1965.