Radio Taiwan International
Date: 06 January, 2020
By: Natalie Tso
PFP Chairman James Soong (left) and running mate Yu Hsiang (CNA photo)
People First Party Chairman James Soong is offering voters what he’s calling a third option for people tired of the sparring between the two major parties. The 77-year old veteran politician is on his fourth run for president. This time, he’s running with former media tycoon Yu Hsiang.
Soong was born into a Kuomintang military family. He received a master’s in poli-sci from UC Berkeley and a PhD from Georgetown University. He entered politics as a Secretary to Premier Chiang Ching Kuo. Soong later became the director-general of the Government Information Office. His popularity grew and in 1994, he became the only elected governor of the Taiwan Province.
In the 2000 election, when the Kuomintang chose Lien Chan as its presidential candidate, Soong broke away from the party to run as an independent… and later started the People First Party.
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