馬英九

The enigma called Ma Ying-jeou
Who is Ma Ying-jeou? He is a Taiwanese politician who served as the 12th President of Taiwan from 2008 to 2016. He is a member of the Kuomintang (KMT) and was the first KMT president to be born in Taiwan.
Ma is a controversial figure. He is admired by some for his leadership and his efforts to improve cross-strait relations with China. However, he is also criticized for his authoritarian tendencies and his handling of the 2014 Sunflower Movement.
Ma's early life and career
Ma was born in Hong Kong in 1950. His father was a KMT official who fled to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War. Ma studied law at National Taiwan University and then went on to earn a doctorate in law from Harvard University.
After returning to Taiwan, Ma worked as a prosecutor and a judge. He entered politics in 1998, when he was elected mayor of Taipei. He served as mayor of Taipei for eight years, during which time he oversaw the construction of several major infrastructure projects, including the Taipei MRT system.
Ma's presidency
Ma was elected president of Taiwan in 2008. He defeated the incumbent president, Chen Shui-bian, by a wide margin. Ma's victory was seen as a sign of the public's desire for change after eight years of Chen's tumultuous presidency.
As president, Ma focused on improving cross-strait relations with China. He signed several agreements with China, including the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). The ECFA was designed to boost trade and economic cooperation between Taiwan and China.
Ma also made efforts to improve Taiwan's international status. He applied for Taiwan to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free trade agreement between the United States and several other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. However, Taiwan's application was not accepted.
The Sunflower Movement
In 2014, Ma's government proposed a trade agreement with China called the Cross-Strait Services Trade Agreement (CSSTA). The CSSTA was controversial, and many people in Taiwan feared that it would give China too much control over Taiwan's economy.
In response to the CSSTA, students from several universities in Taiwan occupied the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. The occupation lasted for 24 days and became known as the Sunflower Movement. The Sunflower Movement was successful in forcing Ma's government to withdraw the CSSTA.
Ma's legacy
Ma's presidency was marked by both successes and failures. He improved cross-strait relations with China, but he was also criticized for his authoritarian tendencies and his handling of the Sunflower Movement.
Ma is a complex and controversial figure. He is a skilled politician who has achieved some significant successes. However, he is also a flawed leader who has made some serious mistakes.