Hsu Kuo-tai (Chinese: 許國泰) is a Taiwanese politician. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party, he served three consecutive terms on the Legislative Yuan from 1987 to 1996.

Hsu Kuo-tai
許國泰
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office
1 February 1990 – 31 January 1996
ConstituencyTaoyuan County
In office
1 February 1987 – 31 January 1990
ConstituencyTaiwan 2nd
(Taoyuan County, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County)
Personal details
NationalityTaiwanese
Political partyDemocratic Progressive Party (since 1986)
RelationsHsu Hsin-liang (brother)
Hsu Chung Pi-hsia (sister-in-law)
Occupationpolitician

He and his older brother Hsu Hsin-liang were raised by a family of farmers.[1] Hsu Kuo-tai ran for a seat on the Legislative Yuan in December 1983, but split the vote with another tangwai candidate, Chang Teh-ming, and neither was elected.[2] Hsu was named a Democratic Progressive Party legislative candidate on the day of its establishment in 1986.[3] Later that year, he led a demonstration at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in support of his brother, who had attempted to return to Taiwan that December, having left the country for the United States in 1979, and actively opposed the Kuomintang government in his time overseas.[4][5][6] Days after the protest, Hsu Kuo-tai received 141,888 votes in the legislative elections.[7] The result was the highest vote share in Taiwan's second district,[7] and the fourth highest vote share of 237 total legislative candidates.[8] Fellow Democratic Progressive Party members Hsu Jung-shu, Hung Chi-chang, and You Ching were the only candidates to win more votes than Hsu.[9] Interpellation sessions led by Hsu tackled controversial issues and governmental actions, such as the lifting of martial law in Taiwan and the death of Henry Liu.[10][11] Hsu lost a 1989 party primary to Lin Hsi-mo and Wu Pao-yu. However, the Democratic Progressive Party chose to nominate Hsu and Lin for legislative seats.[12] Hsu returned to the Legislative Yuan in 1993,[13] representing Taoyuan until 1996. Hsu Kuo-tai financed his brother's 2011 bid for the DPP presidential nomination,[14] which eventually went to Tsai Ing-wen.

References edit

  1. ^ Holley, David (14 January 1992). "Profile: Dissident Returns Home to Chase a Huge Dream". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Divisions among the opposition" (PDF). Taiwan Communiqué (14): 4. January 1984. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  3. ^ "The Democratic Progress Party nominates its candidates" (PDF). Taiwan Communiqué (27): 6. October 1986. ISSN 1027-3999.
  4. ^ "Officials Keep Dissident From Returning to Taiwan". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 2 December 1986. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  5. ^ Shaw, Shullen (2 December 1986). "Exiled dissident leader refused admission to Taiwan". United Press International. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  6. ^ Baum, Julian (5 December 1986). "Taiwan's fledgling opposition party is off to a shaky start". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  7. ^ a b "The Election Results" (PDF). Taiwan Communiqué (28): 7–8. January 1987. ISSN 1027-3999.
  8. ^ Chou, Yangsun; Nathan, Andrew J. (1987). "Democratizing transition in Taiwan". Occasional Papers/Reprints Series in Contemporary Asian Studies. 80 (3). Republished in Nathan, Andrew J. (1990). China's Crisis: Dilemmas of Reform and Prospects for Democracy. Columbia University Press. p. 145. ISBN 9780231072854.
  9. ^ "4 in new opposition party get most votes in Taiwan". New York Times. 8 December 1986. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Taiwan ends Martial Law after 38 Years" (PDF). Taiwan Communiqué (31): 5. September 1987. ISSN 1027-3999. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Taiwan ends Martial Law after 38 Years" (PDF). Taiwan Communiqué (31): 14. May 1988. ISSN 1027-3999. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  12. ^ "Constructive Controversies". Taiwan Today. 1 December 1989. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  13. ^ Leng, Shao-chuan; Lin, Cheng-yi (December 1993). "Political Change on Taiwan: Transition to Democracy?". China Quarterly. 136: 805–839. doi:10.1017/S0305741000032343.
  14. ^ Lin Yang (9 April 2011). "To run for president, please fork over cash". Central News Agency. Retrieved 8 January 2018.