24 Facts About Lin Chia-lung

Lin Chia-lung is a Taiwanese political scientist and politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan since 20 May 2024.

Lin Chia-lung previously served as Secretary General to the President of Taiwan from 2023 to 2024.

Lin Chia-lung's father was a tailor from Mailiao in Yunlin County who left his hometown to work in Wanhua.

In 1990, Lin Chia-lung was one of the co-leaders of the Wild Lily student movement along with Luo Wen-jia and Julian Kuo.

Lin Chia-lung was appointed as an advisor to the National Security Council in 2000, and to the position of cabinet spokesman in 2003.

Lin Chia-lung represented the government position in a debate against Legislator Kao Chin Su-mei, where he argued in favor of arms procurements which would be submitted to referendum the following year.

In January 2005, Lin Chia-lung authorized a GIO program encouraging donations to provide financial support for orphans of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Controversy over the program later arose in August 2005, five months after Lin Chia-lung had left GIO, surrounding the delay in disbursing NT$400 million in donations to various charities and NGOs.

Lin Chia-lung resigned from his position as GIO director in March 2005 to run as DPP candidate for mayor of Taichung City.

In 2014 Lin Chia-lung ran again against Hu and won by a landslide margin, over 200,000 votes.

Lin Chia-lung was appointed DPP Secretary-General in January 2006, and Deputy Secretary-General to the President in October 2007.

Lin Chia-lung defeated DPP legislator Tsai Chi-chang in a public opinion poll that served as the party's primary on 31 December 2013.

Lin Chia-lung was elected as the Mayor of Taichung after winning the Taichung mayoral election on 29 November 2014, defeating Kuomintang incumbent Jason Hu.

Lin Chia-lung was re-nominated as the mayoral candidate in November 2017.

Lin Chia-lung succeeded Wang Kwo-tsai on 14 January 2019 who was acting Minister of Transportation and Communications.

Lin Chia-lung resigned on 4 April 2021 in the aftermath of the Hualien train derailment which killed at least 49 people, stating that he would take full political responsibility for the crash and will leave once the rescue work ends.

In January 2022, Lin Chia-lung was appointed ambassador without portfolio in charge of promoting Taiwan's digital New Southbound Policy initiatives.

Lin Chia-lung is expected to serve in this role until May 2024.

From 31 January 2023, Lin Chia-lung served in the Chen Chien-jen cabinet as Secretary-General to the President.

Lin Chia-lung was designated as foreign minister by president-elect Lai Ching-te on 11 April 2024, succeeding Joseph Wu.

In November 2024, Lin Chia-lung remarked that the Taiwanese government did not oppose the restoration of Lithuania's diplomatic relations with China, following incoming prime minister Gintautas Paluckas's comments of doing so.

Later that month, Lin Chia-lung embarked on a tour of European countries, including Belgium, Lithuania, and Poland.

Lin Chia-lung attended a dinner ceremony marking the third anniversary of the establishment of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius.

Lin Chia-lung is married to Liao Wan-ju, niece of Taiwanese businessman and Chi Mei Corporation founder Shi Wen-long.