23 Facts About Chen Chien-jen

Chen Chien-jen is a Taiwanese epidemiologist and politician who served as the 11th vice president of the Republic of China from 2016 to 2020 and premier of the Republic of China from 2023 to 2024 under President Tsai Ing-wen.

Chen Chien-jen later headed the National Science Council between 2006 and 2008.

Chen Chien-jen then served as a vice president of Academia Sinica from 2011 to 2015.

Later that year, Chen Chien-jen joined Tsai Ing-wen on the Democratic Progressive Party presidential ticket and served as Vice President of Taiwan from 2016 to 2020.

Chen Chien-jen joined the DPP in 2022 and was appointed premier in January 2023.

Chen Chien-jen was a member of the Board of Trustees of Fu Jen Catholic University before running for the presidential election and served as Fu Jen's Robert J Ronald Chair Professor after leaving office.

Chen Chien-jen was born at his family home in Cishan, Kaohsiung County, in 1951, as one of eight children.

Chen Chien-jen began his medical career by researching hepatitis B, and helped raise awareness about vaccination for the disease in Taiwan.

Chen further researched on the liver cancer risk of people with hepatitis B Chen discovered a link from arsenic to blackfoot disease.

Between 2011 and November 2015, Chen Chien-jen was a vice president of Academia Sinica.

Chen Chien-jen served as Minister of Health from 2003 to 2005.

Chen Chien-jen led the National Science Council from 2006 to 2008.

On 16 November 2015, Chen Chien-jen was confirmed as the running mate for Tsai Ing-wen in the 2016 Taiwanese presidential election after media speculation earlier in the month.

Chen Chien-jen is the first Catholic vice presidential nominee in Taiwan.

On 16 January 2016, Tsai and Chen Chien-jen won the presidential election in a landslide.

Chen Chien-jen took up his post as Vice President on 20 May 2016.

In March 2019, Chen Chien-jen announced that he would not seek a second term as vice president alongside Tsai.

Chen Chien-jen received international attention for his role in leading Taiwan's response to the COVID-19 pandemic due to his unique position as both vice president and his epidemiologist background.

Days before he stepped down from the vice presidency, Chen Chien-jen stated that he would return to the Academia Sinica as a research fellow and thus forgo the pension connected to his political office.

In December 2021, Chen Chien-jen applied to join the Democratic Progressive Party, and formally became a member in February 2022.

Chen Chien-jen is married to Lo Fong-ping, whose family is from Nanjing.

Chen Chien-jen has been invested as a Knight of the Equestrian of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and a Knight of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St Gregory the Great.

Chen Chien-jen served on the board of trustees of Fu Jen Catholic University.