James Soong, Date of Birth, Place of Birth

James Soong

Chairman of People First Party, former Governor of Taiwan Province

Date of Birth: 16-Mar-1942

Place of Birth: Xiangtan, Hunan, China

Profession: politician

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

James Soong Chu-yu (Chinese: ???; born 16 March 1942) is a Taiwanese politician.
He is the founder and current Chairman the People First Party. Born to a Kuomintang military family of Hunanese origin, Soong began his political career as a Secretary to Premier Chiang Ching-kuo (later President) and rose to prominence as Director-General of the Government Information Office from 1979 to 1984.
Upon Chiang's death Soong was instrumental in silencing conservatives in the KMT from blocking the ascendancy of Lee Teng-hui as KMT leader.
Soong was the only elected governor of Taiwan Province from 1994 to 1998, before the streamlining of the provincial government.
He placed second in the 2000 presidential election; his independent candidacy split the pro-Chinese reunification vote between himself and the KMT candidate Lien Chan leading to the ascendancy of Democratic Progressive Party candidate Chen Shui-bian.
In the 2004 presidential election, he ran as vice president on the ticket of then Chairman Lien Chan of Kuomintang; they narrowly lost to Chen Shui-bian.
Soong ran again as a candidate in the 2012 presidential race, garnering 2.77% of popular support.
Soong's third presidential campaign in 2016 formed a split ticket with Chairwoman Hsu Hsin-ying of Minkuotang and won 12.84% of the vote.