Vincent Siew

Vincent C. Siew or Siew Wan-chang (; born 3 January 1939) is a Taiwanese politician who served as the Vice President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2008 to 2012. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT). Early life Born in Chiayi City in the then Japanese colony of Taiwan on 3 January 1939, Siew graduated from Chiayi High School in 1957. In 1961, he graduated from the Department of Diplomacy at National Chengchi University (NCCU). After completing his conscription, he passed the Foreign Affairs Special Examination of 1962. He subsequently received his master's degree from the Graduate Institute of International Law and Diplomacy from NCCU in 1965. Although he was accepted by Harvard University, Siew chose to remain in Taiwan heeding his mother's wishes. He completed a leadership seminar at Georgetown University in the United States in 1982 and was awarded Eisenhower Fellowships in 1985. Political career In April 1966, he was appointed as vice consul at the ROC Consulate-General in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and promoted as consul in 1969, a position he held until 1972. During his office term, he built close relationship between Taiwan and the governments and people of Malaysia and Singapore. He also successfully negotiated the establishment of the Trade Mission of the Republic of China in Singapore and its counterpart Singapore Trade Office in Taipei. After the switch of China seat at the United Nations on 25 October 1971 from Republic of China (ROC) to the People's Republic of China (PRC) and amid massive changes within the international community, Siew determined to return to Taiwan. Once home, he became a section chief at the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).