George Hsieh Hsieh Kuo-liang | |
---|---|
謝國樑 | |
![]() Official portrait, 2005 | |
11th Mayor of Keelung | |
Assumed office 25 December 2022 | |
Deputy | Chiu Pei-lin |
Preceded by | Lin Yu-chang |
Member of the Legislative Yuan | |
In office 1 February 2005 – 1 February 2016 | |
Succeeded by | Tsai Shih-ying |
Constituency | Keelung |
Personal details | |
Born | Keelung, Taiwan | 5 October 1975
Nationality | Taiwan |
Political party | Kuomintang (since 2006) |
Other political affiliations | People First Party (until 2006) |
Spouse | Veronica Kuo |
Alma mater |
University of Southern California Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
George Hsieh Kuo-liang ( Chinese: 謝國樑; pinyin: Xiè Guóliáng; Wade–Giles: Hsieh4 Kuo2-liang2; born 5 October 1975) is a Taiwanese politician. He is currently the mayor of Keelung City since 25 December 2022.
After earning a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Southern California, Hsieh attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [1] He previously worked for The China Post and founded Hualien Media International. [2]
Hsieh renounced US citizenship to join the 2004 legislative elections as a member of the People First Party. [3] He joined the Kuomintang in 2006, and represented Keelung in the Legislative Yuan until 2016. In 2009, he proposed an amendment to the Computer-Processed Personal Data Protection Act that would make it legal for elected officials to examine personal records without informing the individual subject to investigation. [4] The next year, Hsieh was named the co-chair of the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee. [5] In 2013, Next Magazine reported that he and a small group of legislators had been subject to wiretapping by the Ministry of Justice since 2011. [6] Hsieh was the party's top choice to run for the mayoralty of Keelung City in 2014, after original candidate Huang Ching-tai's nomination had been withdrawn. [7] He repeatedly refused the mayoral nomination and campaigned for Hsieh Li-kung instead. [8] [9] In February 2015, George Hsieh announced that he would not seek reelection, because his party had been soundly defeated in the November 2014 local elections. [10]
In May 2022, the Kuomintang nominated Hsieh as its candidate for the Keelung mayoralty in the local elections. [11] Hsieh defeated Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate and legislator Tsai Shih-ying . [12]
A CommonWealth Magazine published survey results in September 2023 ranking Hsieh at No. 21 of 22 of major mayors and magistrates in terms of approval ratings. A DPP city councillor attributed Hsieh’s low approval ratings to his breaking of campaign promises, including COVID-19 pandemic related subsidies. [13]
In June 2024, a campaign to recall Hsieh garnered 36,000 signatures and exceeded the threshold needed to initiate a recall vote. [14] The campaign organizers submitted the petition with 40,000 signatures on 5 July. [15]
George Hsieh Hsieh Kuo-liang | |
---|---|
謝國樑 | |
![]() Official portrait, 2005 | |
11th Mayor of Keelung | |
Assumed office 25 December 2022 | |
Deputy | Chiu Pei-lin |
Preceded by | Lin Yu-chang |
Member of the Legislative Yuan | |
In office 1 February 2005 – 1 February 2016 | |
Succeeded by | Tsai Shih-ying |
Constituency | Keelung |
Personal details | |
Born | Keelung, Taiwan | 5 October 1975
Nationality | Taiwan |
Political party | Kuomintang (since 2006) |
Other political affiliations | People First Party (until 2006) |
Spouse | Veronica Kuo |
Alma mater |
University of Southern California Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
George Hsieh Kuo-liang ( Chinese: 謝國樑; pinyin: Xiè Guóliáng; Wade–Giles: Hsieh4 Kuo2-liang2; born 5 October 1975) is a Taiwanese politician. He is currently the mayor of Keelung City since 25 December 2022.
After earning a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Southern California, Hsieh attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [1] He previously worked for The China Post and founded Hualien Media International. [2]
Hsieh renounced US citizenship to join the 2004 legislative elections as a member of the People First Party. [3] He joined the Kuomintang in 2006, and represented Keelung in the Legislative Yuan until 2016. In 2009, he proposed an amendment to the Computer-Processed Personal Data Protection Act that would make it legal for elected officials to examine personal records without informing the individual subject to investigation. [4] The next year, Hsieh was named the co-chair of the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee. [5] In 2013, Next Magazine reported that he and a small group of legislators had been subject to wiretapping by the Ministry of Justice since 2011. [6] Hsieh was the party's top choice to run for the mayoralty of Keelung City in 2014, after original candidate Huang Ching-tai's nomination had been withdrawn. [7] He repeatedly refused the mayoral nomination and campaigned for Hsieh Li-kung instead. [8] [9] In February 2015, George Hsieh announced that he would not seek reelection, because his party had been soundly defeated in the November 2014 local elections. [10]
In May 2022, the Kuomintang nominated Hsieh as its candidate for the Keelung mayoralty in the local elections. [11] Hsieh defeated Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate and legislator Tsai Shih-ying . [12]
A CommonWealth Magazine published survey results in September 2023 ranking Hsieh at No. 21 of 22 of major mayors and magistrates in terms of approval ratings. A DPP city councillor attributed Hsieh’s low approval ratings to his breaking of campaign promises, including COVID-19 pandemic related subsidies. [13]
In June 2024, a campaign to recall Hsieh garnered 36,000 signatures and exceeded the threshold needed to initiate a recall vote. [14] The campaign organizers submitted the petition with 40,000 signatures on 5 July. [15]