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List of presidents of the Republic of China

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Portrait of Sun Yat-sen
Portrait of Chiang Kai-shek
Portrait of Lee Teng-hui
Portrait of Tsai Ing-wen

This is a list of the presidents of the Republic of China.

The Republic of China controlled Mainland China before 1949. In the fall of 1949, the ROC government retreated to Taiwan and surrounding islands as a result of the takeover of the mainland by the Chinese Communist Party and founding of the People's Republic of China. Since 1949, the Republic of China, now commonly known as "Taiwan", has only controlled Taiwan and nearby islands. Martial law ended in Taiwan in the 1980s and direct elections were introduced in 1996.

The official name of the office in Chinese has changed several times.

Year Chinese Mandarin
Pinyin
Taiwanese
Pe̍h-ōe-jī
Hakka
Pha̍k-fa-sṳ
English Translation
1912–1928 大總統 Dàzǒngtǒng Tōa-chóng-thóng Thai-chúng-thúng Great President
1928–1947 國民政府主席 Guómín Zhèngfǔ Zhǔxí Kok-bîn Chèng-hú Chú-se̍k Koet-mìn Chṳn-fú Chú-si̍t Chairman of the Nationalist Government
1947–present 總統 Zǒngtǒng Chóng-thóng Chúng-thúng President

List

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Provisional Government:
  Tongmenghui
  Beiyang clique, etc.
Beiyang Government:
  Beiyang clique, etc.   Progressive Party/Research Clique   Communications Clique
Nationalist to Constitutional Government:
  Kuomintang   Democratic Progressive Party

Presidents of the Provisional Government

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No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Political party Vice President Assembly
(elected)
1 Sun Yat-sen
孫中山
(1866–1925)
1 January 1912 10 March 1912 Tongmenghui Li Yuanhong
(Independent)
Provisional (1911)
2 Yuan Shikai
袁世凱
(1859–1916)
10 March 1912 10 October 1913 Beiyang clique Li Yuanhong
(Independent)
Provisional (1912)

Presidents of the Beiyang Government

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No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Political party Vice President Assembly
(elected)
1 Yuan Shikai
袁世凱
(1859–1916)
10 October 1913 6 June 1916[note 1][note 2] Beiyang clique Li Yuanhong
(Progressive)
1st (1913)
2 Li Yuanhong
黎元洪
(1864–1928)
7 June 1916 17 July 1917[note 3][note 4] Progressive Party Feng Guozhang
(Zhili clique)
Feng Guozhang
馮國璋
(1859–1919)
(acting)[note 5]
17 July 1917 10 October 1918 Zhili clique Vacant
3 Xu Shichang
徐世昌
(1855–1939)
10 October 1918 2 June 1922[note 4] Anhui clique Vacant 2nd (1918)
Zhou Ziqi
周自齊
(1871–1923)
(acting)[note 6]
2 June 1922 11 June 1922 Communications Clique Vacant
(2) Li Yuanhong
黎元洪
(1864–1928)
11 June 1922 13 June 1923[note 4] Research Clique Vacant
Gao Lingwei
高凌霨
(1868–1939)
(acting)[note 7]
14 June 1923 10 October 1923 Zhili clique Vacant
4 Cao Kun
曹錕
(1862–1938)
10 October 1923 2 November 1924[note 4] Zhili clique Vacant (1923)
Huang Fu
黃郛
(1883–1936)
(acting)[note 6]
2 November 1924 24 November 1924 Nonpartisan Vacant
5 Duan Qirui[note 8]
段祺瑞
(1865–1936)
24 November 1924 20 April 1926[note 4] Anhui clique Vacant
Vacant
Hu Weide[note 9]
胡惟德
(1863–1933)
(acting)[note 6]
20 April 1926 13 May 1926 Zhili clique Vacant
Yan Huiqing
(W.W. Yan)

顏惠慶
(1877–1950)
(acting)[note 7]
13 May 1926 22 June 1926 Nonpartisan Vacant
Du Xigui
杜錫珪
(1875–1933)
(acting)[note 6]
22 June 1926 1 October 1926 Zhili clique Vacant
V.K. Wellington Koo
顧維鈞
(1888–1985)
(acting)[note 7]
1 October 1926 17 June 1927[note 10] Nonpartisan Vacant
6 Zhang Zuolin[note 11]
張作霖
(1875–1928)
18 June 1927 4 June 1928[note 12] Fengtian clique Vacant

Chairman of the Nationalist Government

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No. Portrait Name[note 13]
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Political party Assembly
(elected)
1 Tan Yankai
譚延闓
(1880–1930)
7 February 1928 10 October 1928 Kuomintang 2nd National Congress of Kuomintang
(4th plenum)
2 Chiang Kai-shek
蔣中正
(1887–1975)
10 October 1928 15 December 1931[note 10] Kuomintang 2nd National Congress of Kuomintang
(5th plenum)
Lin Sen
林森
(1868–1943)
15 December 1931[note 14] 1 August 1943[note 2] Kuomintang
3 4th National Congress of Kuomintang
(1st plenum)
Chiang Kai-shek
蔣中正
(1887–1975)
1 August 1943[note 15] 20 May 1948 Kuomintang
4 5th National Congress of Kuomintang
(11th plenum)

Presidents after the 1947 Constitution

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No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Political party Vice President Term
(elected)
1 Chiang Kai-shek
蔣中正
(1887–1975)
20 May 1948 21 January 1949[note 16] Kuomintang Li Zongren
(Kuomintang)
1 (1948)
Li Zongren
李宗仁
(1890–1969)
(acting)[note 5]
21 January 1949 1 March 1950 Kuomintang Vacant
(1) Chiang Kai-shek
蔣中正
(1887–1975)
1 March 1950 5 April 1975[note 2] Kuomintang Li Zongren[note 17]
(Kuomintang)
Vacant
Chen Cheng[note 18]
(Kuomintang)
2 (1954)
3 (1960)
Vacant
Yen Chia-kan
(Kuomintang)
4 (1966)
5 (1972)
2 Yen Chia-kan
(C. K. Yen)
嚴家淦
(1905–1993)
5 April 1975 20 May 1978 Kuomintang Vacant
3 Chiang Ching-kuo
蔣經國
(1910–1988)
20 May 1978 13 January 1988[note 2] Kuomintang Hsieh Tung-min
(Kuomintang)
6 (1978)
Lee Teng-hui
(Kuomintang)
7 (1984)
4 Lee Teng-hui
李登輝
(1923–2020)
13 January 1988 20 May 2000 Kuomintang Vacant
Lee Yuan-tsu
(Kuomintang)
8 (1990)
Lien Chan
(Kuomintang)
9 (1996)
5 Chen Shui-bian
陳水扁
(born 1950)
20 May 2000 20 May 2008 Democratic Progressive Annette Lu
(DPP)
10 (2000)
11 (2004)
6 Ma Ying-jeou
馬英九
(born 1950)
20 May 2008 20 May 2016 Kuomintang Vincent Siew
(Kuomintang)
12 (2008)
Wu Den-yih
(Kuomintang)
13 (2012)
7 Tsai Ing-wen
蔡英文
(born 1956)
20 May 2016 20 May 2024 Democratic Progressive Chen Chien-jen
(Independent)
14 (2016)
Lai Ching-te
(DPP)
15 (2020)
8 Lai Ching-te
賴清德
(born 1959)
20 May 2024 Incumbent Democratic Progressive Hsiao Bi-khim
(DPP)
16 (2024)

Timeline

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Lai Ching-teTsai Ing-wenMa Ying-jeouChen Shui-bianLee Teng-huiChiang Ching-kuoYen Chia-kanLi ZongrenLin SenChiang Kai-shekTan YankaiZhang ZuolinV.K. Wellington KooDu XiguiYan HuiqingHu WeideDuan QiruiHuang FuCao KunGao LingweiZhou ZiqiXu ShichangFeng GuozhangLi YuanhongYuan ShikaiSun Yat-sen
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Key:

  Dead
  Living
  Incumbent
# President Born Age at
start of presidency
Age at
end of presidency
Post-presidency
timespan
Lifespan
Died Age
01 Chiang Kai-shek Oct 31, 1887 60 years, 202 days
May 20, 1948
87 years, 156 days
Apr 5, 1975
(died in office) Apr 5, 1975 87 years, 156 days
02 Yen Chia-kan Oct 23, 1905 69 years, 165 days
Apr 6, 1975
72 years, 209 days
May 20, 1978
15 years, 218 days Dec 24, 1993 88 years, 62 days
03 Chiang Ching-kuo Apr 27, 1910 68 years, 23 days
May 20, 1978
77 years, 261 days
Jan 13, 1988
(died in office) Jan 13, 1988 77 years, 261 days
04 Lee Teng-hui Jan 15, 1923 64 years, 363 days
Jan 13, 1988
77 years, 126 days
May 20, 2000
21 years, 71 days Jul 30, 2020 97 years, 197 days
05 Chen Shui-bian Oct 12, 1950 49 years, 221 days
May 20, 2000
57 years, 221 days
May 20, 2008
16 years, 206 days 2024-12-12(living) 74 years, 61 days
06 Ma Ying-jeou Jul 13, 1950 57 years, 312 days
May 20, 2008
65 years, 312 days
May 20, 2016
8 years, 206 days 2024-12-12(living) 74 years, 152 days
07 Tsai Ing-wen Aug 31, 1956 59 years, 263 days
May 20, 2016
67 years, 263 days
May 20, 2024
206 days 2024-12-12(living) 68 years, 103 days
08 Lai Ching-te Oct 6, 1959 64 years, 227 days
May 20, 2024
65 years, 67 days(incumbent) (incumbent) 2024-12-12(living) 65 years, 67 days

Oldest living

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Green text and an asterisk mark the inauguration date of a president older than any living ex-president. Other dates are the deaths of the then-oldest president.

President Date range Age at start Age at end Time span
Chiang Kai-shek May 20, 1948* – April 5, 1975 60 years, 202 days 87 years, 156 days 26 years, 320 days
Yen Chia-kan April 6, 1975* – December 24, 1993 69 years, 165 days 88 years, 62 days 18 years, 262 days
Lee Teng-hui December 24, 1993 – July 30, 2020 70 years, 343 days 97 years, 197 days 26 years, 219 days
Ma Ying-jeou July 30, 2020 – present 70 years, 17 days 74 years, 152 days(living) 4 years, 135 days

Graphical representation

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This is a graphical lifespan timeline of the presidents of the Republic of China (post-1947 Constitution) and they are listed in order of office.

Lai Ching-teTsai Ing-wenMa Ying-jeouChen Shui-bianLee Teng-huiChiang Ching-kuoYen Chia-kanChiang Kai-shek

The following chart shows presidents by their age (living presidents in green), with the years of their presidency in blue.

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Proclaimed a new empire from 12 December 1915 to 22 March 1916.
  2. ^ a b c d Died in office.
  3. ^ Zhang Xun restored Qing Empire from 1 July to 12 July in 1917.
  4. ^ a b c d e Forced out of office.
  5. ^ a b As Vice President.
  6. ^ a b c d As Acting Premier.
  7. ^ a b c As Premier.
  8. ^ Provisional Chief Executive instead of President.
  9. ^ Acting Provisional Chief Executive instead of Acting President.
  10. ^ a b Resigned.
  11. ^ Zhang was the Generalissimo of the Beiyang Military Government instead of President.
  12. ^ Assassinated.
  13. ^ The Chairman of the Nationalist Government (國民政府) was the head of state in this period (political tutelage [zh]; 訓政時期). There was no office of Vice Chairman.
  14. ^ Assumed office as acting chairman from 15 December 1931 to 1 January 1932.
  15. ^ Assumed office as acting chairman from 1 June to 1o October 1943.
  16. ^ Declared incapacity.
  17. ^ Vice-President from 1948 to 1954; impeached and recalled in 1954.
  18. ^ Died on 5 March 1965.
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