View source for President of the Republic of China

{{Short description|Head of state of the Republic of China}}
{{For multi|the ceremonial head of state of the People's Republic of China|President of China|}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = President
| body = the Republic of China
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|zh-tw|中華民國總統}}}} <!-- Other languages or Chinese transliterations please using {{chinese}}. -->
| insignia = 總統之印（中華民國90年）.svg
| insigniasize = 100px
| insigniacaption = Presidential seal
| flag = Commander-in-Chief Flag of the Republic of China.svg
| flagsize = 120px
| flagborder = yes
| flagcaption = Presidential standard
| image = 賴清德總統 (cropped).jpg
| imagesize = 220px
| alt = 
| imagecaption = 
| incumbent = [[Lai Ching-te]]
| acting = 
| incumbentsince = 20 May 2024
| department = [[Office of the President (Taiwan)|Office of the President]]
| style = [[Mr. President]] (informal)<br />[[His Excellency]] (diplomatic)
| type = 
| status = [[Head of state]]<br />[[Commander-in-chief]]
| abbreviation = 
| member_of = [[National Security Council (Taiwan)|National Security Council]]
| reports_to = 
| residence = [[Official Residence of the President (Republic of China)|Wanli Residence]]
| seat = [[Presidential Office Building, Taipei]]
| nominator = 
| appointer = [[Direct election]]{{Notetag|Previously the [[National Assembly (Republic of China)|National Assembly]] from 1948 to 1996.}} or via succession
| appointer_qualified = 
| termlength = 4 years; renewable once
| termlength_qualified = 
| constituting_instrument = 
| precursor = Chairman of the [[Nationalist government|National Government]] (1925–1948)
| formation = {{start date and age|df=yes|1912|1|1}} (provisional, in Mainland China)<br /> {{start date and age|df=yes|1945|10|25}} (Taiwan handover)<br />{{start date and age|df=yes|1948|5|20}} (current form)
| first = [[Sun Yat-sen]] (as Provisional President)
| last = 
| unofficial_names = President of Taiwan
| deputy = [[Vice President of the Republic of China|Vice President]]
| salary = [[New Taiwan dollar|NTD]] 531,000 monthly (2024)<ref>{{cite news|last1=Zhong|first1=Li-Hua|script-title=zh:人事總處公告副總統月薪 賴清德與韓國瑜相差不到1成|quote= 加薪後，總統月薪為53萬1000元... |trans-quote= the President's monthly salary after the raise is 531,000 NTD...|url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/4611011|access-date=23 May 2024|work=[[Liberty Times]] |date=18 March 2024|language=zh-TW}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|english.president.gov.tw/}}
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| title = President of the<br />Republic of China
| t = {{linktext|中華民國|總統}}
| s = {{linktext|中华民国|总统}}
| p = Zhōnghuá Mínguó Zǒngtǒng
| bpmf = ㄓㄨㄥ ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄗㄨㄥˇ ㄊㄨㄥˇ
| tp = Jhonghuá Mínguó Zǒngtǒng
| mps = Jūng-huá Mín-guó Tzǔng-tǔng
| gr = Jonghwa Min'gwo Tzoongtoong
| w = Chung¹-hua² Min²-kuo² Tsung³-t'ung³
| poj = Tiong-hôa Bîn-kok Chóng-thóng
| tl = Tiong-hûa Bîn-kok Tsóng-thóng
| h = Chûng-fà Mìn-koet Chúng-thúng
| altname = President of China<br />{{small|(until 1971)}}
| t2 = {{linktext|中國|總統}}
| s2 = {{linktext|中国|总统}}
| p2 = Zhōngguó Zǒngtǒng
| bpmf2 = ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄗㄨㄥˇ ㄊㄨㄥˇ
| tp2 = Jhongguó Zǒngtǒng
| mps2 = Jūng-guó Tzǔng-tǔng
| gr2 = Jong'gwo Tzoongtoong
| w2 = Chung¹-kuo² Tsung³-t'ung³
| poj2 = Tiong-kok Chóng-thóng
| tl2 = Tiong-kok Tsóng-thóng
| h2 = Chûng-koet Chúng-thúng
| altname3 = President of Taiwan
| t3 = {{linktext|臺灣|總統}}<br/> {{linktext|台灣|總統}}
| s3 = {{linktext|台湾|总统}}
}}
{{Politics of Taiwan}}

The '''president<!--"president" is uncapitalized here because it is preceded by modifier "The", per [[MOS:JOBTITLES]] bullet 3 and table column 2 example 1. Any proposal for modification to the guideline should be posted at its talk page, [[WT:MOSBIO]].--> of the Republic of China''' (ROC), also known as the '''president of Taiwan''', is the [[head of state]] of the [[Taiwan|Republic of China]], commonly known as Taiwan, as well as the [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Republic of China Armed Forces]]. [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Before 1949]] the position had the authority of ruling over [[Mainland China]], but after [[Chinese Communist Party|communist]] victory in the [[Chinese Civil War]], the [[Taiwan Area|remaining jurisdictions]] of the ROC have been limited to [[geography of Taiwan|Taiwan]], [[Penghu]], [[Kinmen]], [[Matsu Islands|Matsu]], and [[list of islands of Taiwan|smaller islands]].

Originally elected by the [[National Assembly (Republic of China)|National Assembly]], the presidency was intended to be a [[figurehead|ceremonial office]] with no real executive power because the ROC was originally envisioned as a [[parliamentary republic]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Main text |url=https://english.president.gov.tw/Page/94 |access-date=2024-01-14 |website=english.president.gov.tw |language=en}}</ref> Since the [[1996 Taiwanese presidential election|1996 election]] however, the president has been [[direct election|directly elected]] by [[plurality voting]] to a four-year term, with incumbents limited to serving two terms. The current president is [[Lai Ching-te]] of the [[Democratic Progressive Party]], preceded by [[Tsai Ing-wen]] from the same party.

==Qualifications==
*The ''Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act''<ref name="law">{{cite web |title = Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act |url = http://law.moj.gov.tw/Eng/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?PCode=D0020053}}</ref> states that a candidate for president or vice president must be a citizen of the Republic of China, at least 40 years old, and a [[household registration in Taiwan|resident]] of the [[free area of the Republic of China|Taiwan Area]] for a period of no less than 15 years with a physical presence of no less than 6 consecutive months. 
* The following persons shall not be registered as candidates for the president:
** [[Military personnel]]
** Election officials
** People who hold foreign nationality or who do not reside in the [[Free area (Taiwan)|Free Area of the Republic of China]]
** People who have restored their nationality or acquired their nationality by naturalization

==Powers==
The president is currently elected for a term of four years by a [[plurality voting]] [[Presidential elections in Taiwan|direct election]] of areas administered by the Republic of China. Before 1991, the president was selected by the [[National Assembly of the Republic of China]] for a term of six years.

The [[Constitution of the Republic of China]] names the president as head of state and [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Republic of China Armed Forces]] (formerly the [[National Revolutionary Army]]). The president is responsible for conducting foreign relations, such as concluding treaties, declaring war, and making peace. The president must promulgate all laws and has no right to veto, but can approve or decline a veto proposed by the [[Executive Yuan]] (Cabinet). Other powers of the president include granting [[amnesty]], [[pardon]] or [[clemency]], declaring [[martial law]], and conferring honors and decorations.

The president may, by resolution of the Executive Yuan Council, issue emergency decrees and take all necessary measures to avert imminent danger affecting the security of the state or of the people or to cope with any serious financial or economic crisis. However, such decrees shall, within ten days of issuance, be presented to the [[Legislative Yuan]] for ratification. Should the Legislative Yuan withhold ratification, said emergency decrees are rendered invalid.

The president may, within ten days following passage by the Legislative Yuan of a [[Motion of no confidence|no-confidence vote]] against the [[Premier of the Republic of China|premier]], [[Dissolution of parliament|dissolve]] the Legislative Yuan after consulting with its president. However, the president may not dissolve the Legislative Yuan while martial law or an emergency decree is in effect. Following a dissolution of the Legislative Yuan, an election for legislators must be held within 60 days.

The president can also appoint [[senior advisor]]s ({{lang|zh-hant|[[:zh:中華民國總統府資政|資政]]}}), national policy advisors ({{lang|zh-hant|[[:zh:中華民國總統府國策顧問|國策顧問]]}}) and strategy advisors ({{lang|zh-hant|[[:zh:中華民國總統府戰略顧問|戰略顧問]]}}), but they do not form a [[Council of State|council]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.president.gov.tw/en/prog/news_release/document_content.php?id=1105495950&pre_id=1105498161&site=&menu_id=&file_name=&group=&g_category_number=264&category_number_2=149 |title=Office of the President, Republic of China(Taiwan) |access-date=20 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223160812/http://www.president.gov.tw/en/prog/news_release/document_content.php?id=1105495950&pre_id=1105498161&site=&menu_id=&file_name=&group=&g_category_number=264&category_number_2=149 |archive-date=23 February 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawSingle.aspx?PCode=A0010012&FLNO=15 |script-title=zh:中華民國總統府組織法§15-全國法規資料庫入口網站}}</ref>

The Constitution does not clearly define whether the president is more powerful than the premier, as it names the Executive Yuan (headed by the premier) as the "highest administrative authority" with oversight over domestic matters, while giving the president powers as commander-in-chief of the military and authority over foreign affairs. Prior to his election as president in 1948, Chiang Kai-shek had insisted that he be premier under the new Constitution, while allowing the presidency (to which he nominated [[Hu Shih]]) be reduced to a [[figurehead]] role.<ref>U.S. Department of State, ''The China White Paper'' (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1967), 273.</ref> However, the National Assembly overwhelmingly supported Chiang as president and once in this position, Chiang continued to exercise vast prerogatives as leader, and the premiership served to execute policy, not make it. Thus, until the 1980s, power in the Republic of China was personalized rather than institutionalized, which meant presidential power depended largely on who occupied the office. For example, [[Yen Chia-kan]] was a mostly ceremonial president, with real power in the hands of Premier [[Chiang Ching-Kuo]], who carried said power with him to the office of president. After President [[Lee Teng-hui]] succeeded Chiang as president in 1988, the power struggle within the KMT extended to constitutional debate over the relationship between the president and the premier. The first three premiers under Lee ([[Yu Kuo-hwa]], [[Lee Huan]], and [[Hau Pei-tsun]]) were [[waishengren|mainlander]]s who had initially opposed Lee's ascent to power. The appointments of Lee Huan and Hau were compromises by President Lee to placate KMT conservatives. The subsequent appointment of the first native Taiwanese premier, [[Lien Chan]], was seen as Lee consolidating  power. Moreover, during this time the power of the premier to approve the presidential appointments, and the power of the Legislative Yuan to confirm the president's choice of premier, were removed. This established the president as the more powerful official.

After the 2000 election of [[Chen Shui-bian]] as president, the presidency and Legislative Yuan were controlled by different parties, which brought forth a number of latent constitutional issues, such as the role of the Legislative Yuan in appointing and dismissing a premier, the right of the president to call a special session of the Legislative Yuan, and exactly who has the power to call a [[referendum]]. Most of these issues have been resolved through inter-party negotiations.

==Succession==
{{Presidential orders of succession}}
[[File:Chiang Kai-shek 1947.jpg|thumb|[[Chiang Kai-shek]] and [[Li Zongren]] were elected by the [[National Assembly of the Republic of China|National Assembly]] to be the first-term president and vice president on 20 May 1948.]]

The [[Constitution of the Republic of China]] gives a short list of persons who will succeed to the presidency if the office were to fall vacant. According to the [[Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China|Additional Articles of the Constitution]], Article 2:<ref name=AdditionalArticles>{{Cite web | url=http://www.president.gov.tw/en/prog/news_release/document_content.php?id=1105496084&pre_id=&g_category_number=409&category_number_2=373&layer=&sub_category= | title=中華民國總統府}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Should the office of the vice president become vacant, the president shall nominate a candidate(s) within three months, and the Legislative Yuan shall elect a new vice president, who shall serve the remainder of the original term until its expiration.}}

{{blockquote|Should the offices of both the president and the vice president become vacant, the president of the Executive Yuan shall exercise the official powers of the president and the vice president. A new president and a new vice president shall be elected in accordance with Paragraph 1 of this article and shall serve out each respective original term until its expiration. The pertinent provisions of Article 49 of the Constitution shall not apply.}}

As no president of the Executive Yuan (also known as the premier) has ever succeeded to the presidency under these provisions (or their predecessors, under Article 49), it is untested whether, should the office of the premier be vacant as well, whether, pursuant to the Additional Articles, Article 3, the vice president of the Executive Yuan (vice premier), who would be acting premier, would act as president.<ref name=AdditionalArticles/> There is currently no constitutional provision for a succession list beyond the possibility that the vice president of the Executive Yuan might succeed to the presidency.

Assuming that the vice president of the Executive Yuan would be third in line for the presidency, the current line of succession is:
# [[Hsiao Bi-khim]], [[Vice President of the Republic of China]].
# [[Cho Jung-tai]], [[President of the Executive Yuan]].
# [[Cheng Li-chun]], [[Vice Premier of the Republic of China|Vice President of the Executive Yuan]].

Presidential succession has occurred three times under the 1947 Constitution:
#President [[Chiang Kai-shek]] declared incapacity on 21 January 1949 amid several Communist victories in the [[Chinese Civil War]] and was replaced by Vice President [[Li Zongren]] as the acting president. However, Chiang continued to wield authority as the director-general of the [[Kuomintang]] and commander-in-chief of the [[Republic of China Armed Forces]]. Li Zongren lost the ensuing power struggle and fled to the [[United States]] in November 1949. Chiang evacuated with the government to Taiwan on 10 December 1949 and resumed his duties as the president on 1 March 1950.
#President Chiang Kai-shek died on 5 April 1975 and was replaced by Vice President [[Yen Chia-kan]], who served out the remainder of the term.
#President [[Chiang Ching-kuo]] died on 13 January 1988 and was replaced by Vice President [[Lee Teng-hui]], who served out the remainder of the term and won two more terms on his own right.

<gallery widths="200" heights="160">
File:Presidential Building, Taiwan (0747).JPG|The [[Presidential Office Building (Republic of China)|Presidential Building]] in [[Zhongzheng District]], [[Taipei]], houses the office of the ROC president currently.
File:Fongshan Administration Center, Kaohsiung City Government 20140720.jpg|The Presidential Southern Office in [[Fengshan District]], [[Kaohsiung]], opened on 10 March 2017.
File:臺中市政府陽明大樓.JPG|The Presidential Central Office in [[Fengyuan District]], [[Taichung]], opened on 18 March 2017.
</gallery>

==Diplomatic protocol==
[[File:Pope johnpaul funeral politics.jpeg|thumb|At the [[funeral of Pope John Paul II]], President Chen Shui-bian (''far left''), whom the Holy See recognized as the head of state of China, was seated in the front row ([[List of dignitaries at the funeral of Pope John Paul II|in French alphabetical order]]) beside the first lady and president of Brazil.]]
[[File:ROCAF Boeing 737-800 3701 on Final Approaching at Songshan Air Force Base 20151222a.jpg|thumb|[[Air Force 3701]], the [[Air transports of heads of state and government|presidential aircraft]] of Taiwan.]]

The diplomatic [[Protocol (diplomacy)|protocol]] regarding the President of the ROC is rather complex because of the [[political status of Taiwan]]. In the [[foreign relations of Taiwan|nations that have diplomatic relations with the ROC]], the president is accorded the standard treatment that is given to a [[head of state]]. In other nations, the president is formally a private citizen, although even in these cases, travel usually meets with strong objections from the People's Republic of China.

The president of ROC has traveled several times to the [[United States]], formally in transit to and from Central America, where a number of countries do recognize the ROC. This system allows the president to visit the United States without the [[United States Department of State|US State Department]] having to issue a visa. During these trips, the president is not formally treated as a head of state, does not meet US government officials in their official capacities, and does not visit [[Washington, D.C.]] However, in these visits, the ROC president invariably meets with staff members from the US government, although these visits are with lower-ranking officials in non-governmental surroundings.

In the area of [[Southeast Asia]], the ROC president was able to arrange visits in the early 1990s which were formally private tourist visits. However, these have become increasingly infrequent as a result of PRC pressure.

At the annual [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] leaders' summit, the ROC president is forbidden from attending personally, and must send a [[List of Chinese Taipei Representatives to APEC|special envoy]] to represent them at the event.

However, on 2 December 2016, US President-elect [[Donald Trump]] accepted [[Trump–Tsai call|a congratulatory telephone call]] from the ROC president, a clear break from prior protocol.

{{anchor|Leader of the Taiwan Area}}
The [[Government of the People's Republic of China]] and its media uses the terms '''Leader of the Taiwan Area''', '''Leader of the Taiwan Region''' ({{zh|t=台灣地區領導人|s=台湾地区领导人|p=Táiwān dìqū lǐngdǎorén|first=t}}) and '''Leader of the Taiwanese Authorities''' ({{zh|labels=no |first=t |t=台灣當局領導人|s=台湾当局领导人|p=Táiwān dāngjú lǐngdǎo rén}}) to describe Taiwan's head of state. These terms are used by the media in the People's Republic of China (PRC) to reflect the PRC's [[Political status of Taiwan|official stance]] of not recognizing the legitimacy of Taiwan as a country, or of [[Two Chinas]]. If the official title cannot be avoided in a news article, quotation marks would be used around terms for all official ROC positions and organizations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fjsen.com/taiwan/2009-06/03/content_716258.htm|title=Claimed he was the "President of Taiwan" – Ma Ying-jeou: Did not mean Taiwan as a country|publisher=Southeast News|date=2009-06-03|access-date=2009-07-26|archive-date=3 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203022109/http://www.fjsen.com/taiwan/2009-06/03/content_716258.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tw.people.com.cn/GB/14812/14875/7032360.html|script-title=zh:台湾地区领导人选举结束 马英九、萧万长获胜|access-date=22 March 2008|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303170925/http://tw.people.com.cn/GB/14812/14875/7032360.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Secretary-general to the president==
{{main|Secretary-General to the President, Republic of China}}

The secretary-general to the president is the highest-ranking official in the Office of the President and supervises the staff of the office. The current secretary-general is [[Pan Men-an]].

==Symbols==
[[File:ROC Office of the President Emblem.svg|thumb|upright=0.75|Podium seal used by president]]
The president's podium bearing a golden [[plum blossom]] surrounded by wreath laurel on front side.

The {{ill|Presidential standard of the Republic of China|zh|中華民國統帥旗|lt=presidential standard}}, officially called the '''Commander-in-Chief Standard of the Republic of China''', is the symbol of the President as head the [[Republic of China Armed Forces]]. The Standard is a rectangular, red field with a thin, yellow border. In the center of the red field is the national emblem of the Republic of China. The Standard is flown from the Presidential Office, as well as other buildings for the president’s use; facilities for presidential visits; transportation vehicles when used by the president; and in other ceremonial contexts. The Standard was designed by Chiang Kai-shek in 1928, based on the flag of [[Republic of China Military Academy|Whampoa Military Academy]], which was in turn designed by [[Ho Ying-chin]] in 1924, and revised in 1988.

The {{Ill|Seal of the president of the Republic of China|zh|中華民國總統之印|lt=Presidential Seal}} is square, and its inscription {{lang|zh-Hant|總統之印}} is written in [[seal script]] ({{lang|zh-tw|篆書}}). It is written vertically in two columns, with the right-hand line containing the characters {{lang|zh-Hant|總統}} (''Zǒngtǒng''), and the left-hand line containing the characters {{lang|zh-Hant|之印}} (''Zhīyìn'').

==Elections==
{{main|Presidential elections in Taiwan}}
{|
|[[File:ROC presidential electoral maps.svg|400px|thumb|Electoral maps of direct presidential elections of Taiwan.]]
|[[File:ROC direct presidential elections ratio-bar.svg|350px|thumb|Comparison of the vote percentages in the direct presidential elections.<br />
{{Color box|#009a00|border=darkgray}}: [[Democratic Progressive Party]] candidates<br />
{{Color box|#000095|border=darkgray}}: [[Kuomintang]] candidates<br />
{{Color box|#ff6600|border=darkgray}}: [[People First Party (Republic of China)|People First Party]] candidates, or [[James Soong]].<br />
{{Color box|#ffd700|border=darkgray}}: [[New Party (Taiwan)|New Party]] nominated or endorsed candidates.<br />
{{Color box|#d00000|border=darkgray}}{{Color box|#b3b3b3|border=darkgray}}: Other [[Independent politician|independents]]]]
|}

{|class=wikitable
!Order!!Main article!!Form of election
|-
|align=center|'''1st'''||[[1948 Chinese presidential election]]
| rowspan="4" |Indirect election by the 1st [[National Assembly (Republic of China)|National Assembly]] (delegates elected in [[1947 Chinese National Assembly election|1947]])
|-
|align=center|'''2nd'''||[[1954 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|-
|align=center|'''3rd'''||[[1960 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|-
|align=center|'''4th'''||[[1966 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|-
|align=center|'''5th'''||[[1972 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|Indirect election by the 1st [[National Assembly (Republic of China)|National Assembly]] (delegates elected in [[1947 Chinese National Assembly election|1947]] and [[1969 Taiwanese legislative election|1969]])
|-
|align=center|'''6th'''||[[1978 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|Indirect election by the 1st [[National Assembly (Republic of China)|National Assembly]] (delegates elected in [[1947 Chinese National Assembly election|1947]], [[1969 Taiwanese legislative election|1969]], and [[1972 Taiwanese legislative election|1972]])
|-
|align=center|'''7th'''||[[1984 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|Indirect election by the 1st [[National Assembly (Republic of China)|National Assembly]] (delegates elected in [[1947 Chinese National Assembly election|1947]], [[1969 Taiwanese legislative election|1969]], and [[1980 Taiwanese legislative election|1980]])
|-
|align=center|'''8th'''||[[1990 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|Indirect election by the 1st [[National Assembly (Republic of China)|National Assembly]] (delegates elected in [[1947 Chinese National Assembly election|1947]], [[1969 Taiwanese legislative election|1969]], and [[1986 Taiwanese legislative election|1986]])
|-
|align=center|'''9th'''||[[1996 Taiwanese presidential election]]
| rowspan="8" |Direct election by [[Taiwanese people]] (citizens of the [[Free area of the Republic of China|Free area]])
|-
|align=center|'''10th'''||[[2000 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|-
|align=center|'''11th'''||[[2004 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|-
|align=center|'''12th'''||[[2008 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|-
|align=center|'''13th'''||[[2012 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|-
|align=center|'''14th'''||[[2016 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|-
|align=center|'''15th'''||[[2020 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|-
|align=center|'''16th'''||[[2024 Taiwanese presidential election]]
|}

==History==
Taiwan was previously led by the [[emperor of Japan]] during [[Taiwan under Japanese rule|colonial rule by Japan]] from 1895 to 1945, represented by the [[governor-general of Taiwan]].

After the outbreak of the [[Wuchang Uprising]] against [[Qing dynasty|Qing rule]] in 1911, [[1911 Republic of China provisional presidential elections|the revolutionaries elected]] [[Sun Yat-sen]] as the "[[Provisional Government of the Republic of China (1912)|provisional president]]" ({{lang|zh-Hant|臨時大總統}}) of the transitional government, with the Republic of China officially established on 1 January 1912. But Sun soon resigned from the provisional presidency in favor of [[Yuan Shikai]], who assumed the title "Great President" ({{lang|zh-hant|大總統}}) in March 1912. Yuan induced the [[Puyi|Last Emperor]] to abdicate, ending thousands of years of imperial rule in China. The 1913 Constitution called for a strong [[presidential system]] with notable [[Separation of powers|checks]] on the president by the [[National Assembly of the Republic of China|National Assembly]]. However, Yuan soon began to assert dictatorial power, ignoring the National Assembly and later abolishing it altogether. In 1915, Yuan proclaimed himself [[Empire of China (1915–1916)|Emperor of China]] in a largely unpopular move and was forced to retract his declaration shortly before his death in 1916.

With Yuan Shikai's death the [[Warlord Era]] began. Vice President [[Li Yuanhong]] succeeded Yuan as president and attempted to reassert the constitutional government, but was soon forced to resign by military strongmen. The presidency, though leading an internationally recognized government, was thereafter to be headed by a series of prominent warlords. This presidency ended in 1928 when the [[Northern Expedition (1926–1927)|Northern Expedition]], led by the [[Kuomintang]] (KMT), succeeded in [[Chinese reunification (1928)|conquering North China]].

Sun Yat-sen established a rival (military, not constitutional) government in [[Guangzhou]] in 1917 and took the title of "Generalissimo of the Military Government" ({{zh |labels = no |t = 海陸軍大元帥 |l = Grand Marshal of the Navy and Army }}). He was ousted in 1918 but returned again to Guangzhou in 1921. Claiming to restore the [[Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China]], he summoned the members of the original parliament to elect him as president, but since there lacked a quorum, he took the title of "Extraordinary President" ({{lang|zh-Hant|非常大總統}}). Sun, again expelled from Guangzhou in 1922, returned in 1923 to take the title of "Generalissimo of the Military Government." Sun died in 1925 with no clear successor and leadership of the government, now named the [[National Government of the Republic of China|National Government]], rested in a series of [[Leninist]]-style dual party and state committees, the most powerful of which was the policy-making Central Executive Committee of the [[Kuomintang]]. The government was organized into five branches, with the [[Executive Yuan]], headed by the premier, holding primary administrative authority. The "Chairman of the National Government", though not given specific presidential powers, took on the functions of a ''de facto'' head of state and its official English translation was "President of the National Government of the Republic of China". This form of government under the KMT lasted through the Northern Expedition, which moved the capital to Nanjing and gave the National Government domestic control and foreign recognition, and the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]], during which the Japanese established a puppet [[Reorganized National Government of China|"Reorganized" National Government]] with almost the identical organizational structure, until the promulgation of a new Constitution in 1947.

Following the Chinese victory in the Second Sino-Japanese War, the National Government under [[Chiang Kai-shek]] was restored in Nanjing and the KMT set out to enact a [[liberal democracy|liberal democratic]] constitution in line with the last stage of Sun Yat-sen's three stages of national development. The new [[Constitution of the Republic of China]], promulgated on 25 December 1947, established a five-branch government with the office of president ({{lang|zh-hant|總統}}) as head of state. On 20 May 1948, Chiang Kai-shek was formally elected by the [[National Assembly of the Republic of China|National Assembly]] to be the first term president.

After the KMT lost mainland China in the Chinese Civil War, the government was evacuated to Taiwan, where the term limits for the president specified in the 1947 constitution were suspended after 1960.{{NoteTag|According to the Constitution, the president can be reelected once. The term length is six years. Since the constitution was suspended, president Chiang Kai-shek continued to be elected until his death.}} In 1954, as the term of the first National Assembly were about to expire, the Judicial Yuan ruled that the expired seats of the National Assembly would continue in power until the respective delegate region elections could be held. This largely froze the membership of the National Assembly mainland delegates and prevented local Taiwanese from widespread legislative and assembly participation in the expired mainland seats until the early 1970s. The members of the National Assembly continued in their office until 1991, and continued to elect Chiang Kai-shek as president until his death in 1975.

Presidents were elected by the National Assembly until the first [[1996 Taiwan presidential election|direct presidential election]] in 1996, while the term length was shortened from six to four years.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:1911年中华民国临时大总统选举1.jpg|Official results of the election announcing Sun's election on November 10, 1911.
File:West_Garden_Hall,_Nanjing,_Aug_2016.jpg|The West Garden Hall in [[Presidential Palace, Nanjing]], was the office of the provisional president in 1912.
File:原段祺瑞执政府.jpg|After [[Yuan Shikai]]'s [[Beiyang government|Peiyang Government]] took control of the ROC, the house in Peking was the office of the president.
File:National Government of the R.O.C.jpg|The [[Presidential Palace (Nanjing)|Presidential Palace]] in [[Xuanwu District, Nanjing|Xuanwu District]], [[Nanjing]], housed the office of the chairman of the National Government of the ROC in 1927–1937.
File:Tzu-chao Building.jpg|The Presidential Building in [[Presidential Palace, Nanjing]], was the office of the president of the ROC after the [[Constitution of the Republic of China|1947 Chinese Constitution]], until the Government of the ROC fled to Taiwan in 1949.
</gallery>

== Timeline of presidents ==
{{Main list|List of presidents of the Republic of China}}

{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:12
PlotArea  = top:10 bottom:100 right:70 left:10
AlignBars = late

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1912 till:{{#expr:{{#time:Y}}+1}}
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal

Colors     =
  id:Independent    value:rgb(0.7,0.7,0.7)       legend:Independent
  id:Tongmenghui    value:rgb(0,0,0.3)           legend:Tongmenghui
  id:Beiyang        value:rgb(0.804,0.522,0.247) legend:Beiyang_Clique
  id:Progressive    value:green                  legend:Progressive_Party
  id:Zhili          value:rgb(0.604,0.522,0.247) legend:Zhili_Clique
  id:Anhui          value:lightorange            legend:Anhui_Clique
  id:Communications value:rgb(0.6,0.694,0.788)   legend:Communications_Clique
  id:Fengtian       value:rgb(0.4,0.522,0.247)   legend:Fengtian_Clique
  id:KMT            value:rgb(0,0,0.6)           legend:Kuomintang
  id:DPP            value:rgb(0.1,0.58,0.19)     legend:Democratic_Progressive_Party
  id:gray1          value:gray(0.85)
  id:gray2          value:gray(0.95)
  id:vac            value:tan2

Legend     = columns:1 left:110 top:57 columnwidth:220

Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y|-3 hours}}

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  pos:(20,57) textcolor:black fontsize:s
  text:"Political Affiliation:"

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ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1912

BarData =
  bar:Sun
  bar:Yuan
  bar:LiYH
  bar:Feng
  bar:Xu
  bar:Zhou
  bar:Gao
  bar:Cao
  bar:Huang
  bar:Duan
  bar:Hu
  bar:Yan
  bar:Du
  bar:Koo
  bar:Zhang
  bar:Tan
  bar:ChiangKS
  bar:Lin
  bar:LiZR
  bar:YanXS
  bar:Yen
  bar:ChiangCK
  bar:Lee
  bar:Chen
  bar:Ma
  bar:Tsai
  bar:Lai

PlotData=
  width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

 bar:Sun
  from: 01/01/1912 till: 10/03/1912 color:Tongmenghui    text:"[[Sun Yat-sen]]" 
 bar:Yuan
  from: 10/03/1912 till: 06/06/1916 color:Beiyang        text:"[[Yuan Shikai]]" 
 bar:LiYH
  from: 07/06/1916 till: 17/01/1917 color:Progressive
  from: 11/06/1922 till: 13/06/1923 color:Progressive    text:"[[Li Yuanhong]]" 
 bar:Feng
  from: 17/01/1917 till: 10/10/1918 color:Zhili          text:"[[Feng Guozhang]]" 
 bar:Xu
  from: 10/10/1918 till: 02/06/1922 color:Anhui          text:"[[Xu Shichang]]" 
 bar:Zhou
  from: 02/06/1922 till: 11/06/1922 color:Communications text:"[[Zhou Ziqi]]" 
 bar:Gao
  from: 14/06/1923 till: 10/10/1923 color:Zhili          text:"[[Gao Lingwei]]" 
 bar:Cao
  from: 10/10/1923 till: 02/11/1924 color:Zhili          text:"[[Cao Kun]]" 
 bar:Huang
  from: 02/11/1924 till: 24/11/1924 color:Independent    text:"[[Huang Fu]]" 
 bar:Duan
  from: 24/11/1924 till: 20/04/1926 color:Anhui          text:"[[Duan Qirui]]" 
 bar:Hu
  from: 20/04/1926 till: 13/05/1926 color:Zhili          text:"[[Hu Weide]]" 
 bar:Yan
  from: 13/05/1926 till: 22/06/1926 color:Independent    text:"[[Yan Huiqing]]" 
 bar:Du
  from: 22/06/1926 till: 01/10/1926 color:Zhili          text:"[[Du Xigui]]" 
 bar:Koo
  from: 01/10/1926 till: 17/06/1927 color:Independent    text:"[[V.K. Wellington Koo]]"
 bar:Zhang
  from: 17/06/1927 till: 02/06/1928 color:Fengtian       text:"[[Zhang Zuolin]]" 
 bar:Tan
  from: 02/07/1928 till: 10/10/1928 color:KMT            text:"[[Tan Yankai]]" 
 bar:ChiangKS
  from: 10/10/1928 till: 15/12/1931 color:KMT            
  from: 01/08/1943 till: 21/01/1949 color:KMT            
  from: 01/03/1950 till: 05/04/1975 color:KMT            text:"[[Chiang Kai-shek]]" 
 bar:Lin
  from: 15/12/1931 till: 01/08/1943 color:KMT            text:"[[Lin Sen]]" 
 bar:LiZR
  from: 21/01/1949 till: 20/11/1949 color:KMT            text:"[[Li Zongren]]" 
 bar:YanXS
  from: 20/11/1949 till: 01/03/1950 color:KMT            text:"[[Yan Xishan]]"
 bar:Yen
  from: 06/04/1975 till: 20/05/1978 color:KMT            text:"[[Yen Chia-kan]]" 
 bar:ChiangCK
  from: 20/05/1978 till: 13/01/1988 color:KMT            text:"[[Chiang Ching-kuo]]"  
 bar:Lee
  from: 13/01/1988 till: 20/05/2000 color:KMT            text:"[[Lee Teng-hui]]" 
 bar:Chen
  from: 20/05/2000 till: 20/05/2008 color:DPP            text:"[[Chen Shui-bian]]" 
 bar:Ma
  from: 20/05/2008 till: 20/05/2016 color:KMT            text:"[[Ma Ying-jeou]]" 
 bar:Tsai
  from: 20/05/2016 till: 20/05/2024 color:DPP            text:"[[Tsai Ing-wen]]" 
 bar:Lai
  from: 20/05/2024 till: $today     color:DPP            text:"[[Lai Ching-te]]"
}}

* [[Cen Chunxuan]] was the president of the [[Constitutional Protection Junta|southern military government]] of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] from 1913 to 1921.

; 1st Provisional President and Presidents after the 1947 Constitution
<gallery class="center">
File:孙中山肖像.jpg|'''[[Sun Yat-sen]]'''<br /><small>1st Provisional President<br />(served: 1912)</small>
File:Chiang Kai-shek（蔣中正）.jpg|1st: '''[[Chiang Kai-shek]]'''<br /><small>1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th terms<br />(served: 1948–1975)</small>
File:President Yen Chia-kan.png|2nd: '''[[Yen Chia-kan]]'''<br /><small>remaining 5th term<br />(served: 1975–1978)</small>
File:第7任總統蔣經國先生玉照.jpg|3rd: '''[[Chiang Ching-kuo]]'''<br /><small>6th & 7th terms<br />(served: 1978–1988)</small>
File:Lee Teng-hui (president 5 cropped).jpg|4th: '''[[Lee Teng-hui]]'''<br /><small>remaining 7th term, then 8th & 9th terms<br />(served: 1988–2000)</small>
File:總統陳水扁先生玉照 (國民大會實錄).jpg|5th: '''[[Chen Shui-bian]]'''<br /><small>10th & 11th terms<br />(served: 2000–2008)</small>
File:中華民國第12、13任總統馬英九先生官方肖像照.jpg|6th: '''[[Ma Ying-jeou]]'''<br /><small>12th & 13th terms<br />(served: 2008–2016)</small>
File:蔡英文官方元首肖像照.png|7th: '''[[Tsai Ing-wen]]'''<br /><small>14th & 15th terms<br />(served: 2016–2024)</small>
File:賴清德總統 (cropped).jpg|8th: '''[[Lai Ching-te]]'''<br /><small>16th term<br />(serving: 2024–present)</small>
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Elections in Taiwan]]
* [[History of Taiwan]]
* [[Vice President of the Republic of China]]
* [[Premier of the Republic of China]]
* [[List of presidents of the Republic of China]]
* [[Politics of the Republic of China]]
* [[List of political parties in the Republic of China]]
* [[List of rulers of Taiwan]]
* [[Republic of China Presidential Museum]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikisourcelang|en|Republic of China Office of the President Organization Act|Republic of China Office of the President Organization Act|(Official English translation)}}
{{Wikisource|:zh:关于正确使用涉台宣传用语的意见|Advice regarding the proper use of promotional language involving Taiwan}}
* [http://english.president.gov.tw/ Office of the President of the Republic of China]
* [http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Rep/rep-government.html Presidents and their Premiers]

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