Government and Politics of Taiwan

Government Type

multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly-elected president and unicameral legislature

Administrative Divisions

the central administrative divisions include the provinces of Fu-chien (some 20 offshore islands of Fujian Province including Quemoy and Matsu) and Taiwan (the island of Taiwan and the Pescadores islands); Taiwan is further subdivided into 16 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5 municipalities* (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special municipalities** (chuan-shih, singular and plural); Chang-hua, Chia-i, Chia-i*, Chi-lung*, Hsin-chu, Hsin-chu*, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung, Kao-hsiung**, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu, P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-chung*, T'ai-nan, T'ai-nan*, T'ai-pei, T'ai-pei**, T'ai-tung, T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin; the provincial capital is at Chung-hsing-hsin-ts'un

Legal System

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Taiwan dual citizenship recognized: yes, except that citizens of Taiwan are not recognized as dual citizens of the People's Republic of China residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President LAI Ching-te (since 20 May 2024) and Vice President HSIAO Bi-khim (since 20 May 2024) head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) CHO Jung-tai (since 20 May 2024) and Vice Premier (Vice President of the Executive Yuan) CHENG Li-chiun (since 20 May 2024) cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 13 January 2024 (next to be held in January 2028); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier election results: LAI Ching-te elected president; percent of vote - LAI Ching-te (DPP) 40.1%, HOU Yu-ih (KMT) 33.5%, KO Wen-je (TPP) 26.5%

Legislative Branch

Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular vote, 41 elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected from overseas Chinese constituencies on basis of proportion of island-wide votes received by participating political parties, eight elected by popular vote among aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms); National Assembly (300 seat nonstanding body; delegates nominated by parties and elected by proportional representation six to nine months after Legislative Yuan calls to amend Constitution, impeach president, or change national borders) - see note note: as a result of constitutional amendments approved by National Assembly in June 2005, number of seats in legislature will be reduced from 225 to 113 beginning with election in 2007; amendments also eliminated National Assembly thus giving Taiwan a unicameral legislature elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2007); National Assembly - last held 14 May 2005; dissolved in June 2005 election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP 38%, KMT 35%, PFP 15%, TSU 8%, other parties and independents 4%; seats by party - DPP 89, KMT 79, PFP 34, TSU 12, other parties 7, independents 4; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - DPP 42.5%, KMT 38.9%, TSU 7%, PFP 6%, others 6.6%; seats by party - DPP 127, KMT 117, TSU 21, PFP 18, others 17 (2005)

Judicial Branch

Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of the Legislative Yuan)

Political Parties

Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [YU Shyi-kun, chairman]; Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [MA Ying-jeou, chairman]; People First Party or PFP [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu), chairman]; Taiwan Solidarity Union or TSU [SU Chin-chiang, chairman]; other minor parties including the Chinese New Party or NP

Head of State

President Ma Ying-jeou

Head of Government

Premier Wu Deny-yih

Cabinet

Executive Yuan - (ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier)

Elections

president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 March 2008 (next to be held in March 2012); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier

Election Results

MA Ying-jeou elected president on 22 March 2008; percent of vote - MA Ying-jeou 58.45%, Frank HSIEH 41.55%; MA Ying-jeou took office on 20 May 2008

Constitution

25 December 1946, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, and 2000

National Holiday

Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October (1911)

International Organization Participation

APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WTrO

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality - the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - which has offices in the US and Taiwan; US office at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: [1] (703) 525-8474, FAX: [1] (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (2) 2162-2000, FAX: [886] (2) 2162-2251; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kao-hsiung, Taiwan, telephone: [886] (7) 238-7744, FAX: [886] (7) 238-5237; and the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan 10548, telephone: [886] (2) 2720-1550, FAX: [886] (2) 2757-7162

Capital City

Taipei

Location

25 02 N, 121 31 E

Time Difference

UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

the Chinese meaning is "Northern Taiwan," reflecting the city's position in the far north of the island

The American Institute in Taiwan No.7 Lane 134 Xinyi Road Section 3 Taipei, Taiwan Telephone: (886) 2-2162-2000 Facsimile: (886) 2-2162-2239 The American Institute in Taiwan (Kaohsiung Branch Office) No. 2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor Kaohsiung, Taiwan Telephone: (886) 7-238-7744 Facsimile: (886) 7-238-5237 Email: amcit-ait-t@state.gov Duty Officer After-Hours Emergency Telephone: (886) 2-2162-2000. Press “0” or “*”.

Military Branches

Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command

Service Age and Obligation

18-35 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; service obligation is 2 years; women may enlist; women in Air Force service are restricted to noncombat roles; reserve obligation to age 30 (Army); the Ministry of Defense is in the process of implementing a voluntary enlistment system over the period 2010-2015, although nonvolunteers will still be required to perform alternative service or go through 4 months of military training