Hsu Hsin-Liang is a co-founder of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), becoming Chairman twice in 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998, leading the party to a sweeping electoral success against the Kuomintang in the 1997 local-level elections.
However due to conflicts on party policies on key issues regarding the relations of Taiwan with mainland China, Hsu resigned from his DPP post in 1999 and register to run in the 2004 legislative election as an independent in Taipei City South constituency and to make a bid for the presidency also as an independent . He later on became a supporter of the Pan-Blue Coalition from which Kuomintang party was allied with.
Born in Taoyuan County, Taiwan, Hsu received his Bachelor in Political Science from the National Chengchi University in 1967 and his Master’s degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1969. He began his political career in the Kuomintang as a member of the Taiwan Provincial Assembly from 1973-1977, but broke ranks in 1977 when he ran and won as an independent in the election for Magistrate of Taoyuan County.
Hsu served as CALD Chair from 1995-1997.
