Luo Wen-jia (Chinese: 羅文嘉; pinyin: Luó Wénjiā; Hakka: Lò Vùn-kâ; born 1 January 1966) is a Taiwanese politician who is the current vice chairman and secretary-general of the Straits Exchange Foundation. He is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party.

Luo Wen-jia
羅文嘉
Official portrait, 2012
Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Straits Exchange Foundation
Assumed office
7 June 2024
Serving with Rock Hsu
ChairmanCheng Wen-tsan
Rock Hsu (acting)
Preceded byChiu Chui-cheng
22nd Secretary-General of the Democratic Progressive Party
In office
16 January 2019 – 19 May 2020
ChairmanCho Jung-tai
Preceded byHung Yao-fu
Succeeded byLin Hsi-yao
3rd Minister of the Council for Hakka Affairs
In office
20 May 2004 – March 2005
Prime MinisterYu Shyi-kun
Frank Hsieh
DeputyLee Yung-te
Preceded byYeh Chu-lan
Succeeded byLee Yung-te
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office
1 February 2002 – 19 May 2004
ConstituencyTaipei I
Vice Minister of the Council of Cultural Affairs
In office
20 May 2000 – 5 February 2001
MinisterTchen Yu-chiou
Succeeded byWu Mi-cha
Personal details
Born (1966-01-01) 1 January 1966 (age 58)
Xinwu, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Political partyDemocratic Progressive Party
EducationNational Taiwan University (BA)

Luo worked closely with Chen Shui-bian, first as Chen's legislative assistant, and later within Taipei City Government while Chen was mayor. When Chen was elected president in 2000, Luo joined the Executive Yuan as vice minister of the Council of Cultural Affairs. Between 2002 and 2004, Luo was a member of the Legislative Yuan. He left the legislature for an appointment as minister of the Council for Hakka Affairs, from which he stepped down in 2005 to run unsuccessfully for the Taipei County magistracy. Luo was subsequently defeated as a legislative candidate in 2008. Luo returned to politics in 2019, when he was named secretary-general of the Democratic Progressive Party.

Education

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Luo graduated from National Taiwan University with a bachelor's degree in political science.

Political career

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Luo is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and served as legislative assistant to Chen Shui-bian between 1991 and 1994. After Chen was elected mayor of Taipei, Luo became the city government spokesman in December 1994. He left Taipei City Government in October 1997.[1] Luo then served as spokesman for Chen Shui-bian's 2000 presidential campaign and in the same role for the Democratic Progressive Party.[2][3]

After Chen became the president of the Republic of China, Luo held the vice chairmanship of the Council for Cultural Affairs.[1] In January 2001, Luo resigned the post to prepare a bid for legislative elections later that year.[4] He became one of five Democratic Progressive Party candidates to contest a seat from Taipei 1.[5][6] During the election, the party urged its supporters to vote for candidates based on identification card numbers. In the proposed vote allocation scheme, Luo split support with Lan Shih-tsung [zh], and was to receive votes from supporters whose identification numbers ended in three or four.[7][8] Luo won election to the Legislative Yuan in December 2001.[9] He was subsequently appointed as the chair of the Council for Hakka Affairs in 2004.[10] He stepped down in March 2005 to contest a primary for the magistracy of Taipei County.[11] The office was won by Chou Hsi-wei.[12] During the 2008 legislative election cycle, Luo ended a bid for a party list seat in favor of a district seat,[13][14] which he lost.[15]

In January 2019, Luo ended his political retirement of nine years and accepted an appointment as secretary-general of the Democratic Progressive Party.[16][17]

Political stances

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In 2004, Luo, Chen Chi-mai, Lee Wen-chung and Tsai Huang-liang proposed New Culture Discourse, which argued that Taiwan was a multicultural society and that it should retain the Republic of China as the official name.[18][19][20] Luo and Tuan Yi-kang launched the new DPP movement for party reform in 2005.[21][22] Chen Shui-bian advised against the name, drawing parallels to the New Kuomintang Alliance, which later became the New Party.[23]

Personal life

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Luo is married to Liu Chao-yi.[24][25]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lin, Mei-chun (21 May 2000). "Kingmakers". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. ^ Lin, Chieh-yu (6 September 1999). "DPP deputies under pressure to abandon salaries". Taipei Times. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  3. ^ Lin, Chieh-yu (14 September 1999). "Annette Lu an early favorite for DPP's 2000 ticket". Taipei Times. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  4. ^ Lin, Mei-chun (9 January 2001). "DPP heavyweight scares contenders". Taipei Times. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  5. ^ Chuang, Jimmy (14 October 2001). "Youth rally behind DPP". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  6. ^ Tsai, Ting-i (29 November 2001). "President supports vote allocation". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  7. ^ Tsai, Ting-i (14 November 2001). "DPP coordinates its voters' choices". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  8. ^ Huang, Joyce (21 November 2001). "Dec. 1 elections: DPP decides to expand vote allocation strategy". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  9. ^ Hsu, Crystal (2 December 2001). "DPP scores big as KMT falters". Taipei Times. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  10. ^ Chang, Yun-ping (2 May 2004). "KMT seen having rough road to generational change". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  11. ^ "DPP candidates begin to register for year-end primaries". Taipei Times. 29 March 2005. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  12. ^ Chang, Yun-ping (4 December 2005). "Swing voters prove crucial in Taipei County's contest". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  13. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (26 October 2007). "Supporters want Luo to stand, Chen says". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  14. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (25 October 2007). "Luo undecided over Da-an constituency election bid". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  15. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (16 January 2008). "Frank Hsieh talks to independence veterans Ng, Koo". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  16. ^ Yang, Chun-hui; Chin, Jonathan (15 January 2019). "Luo to restore the DPP's 'brand image'". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  17. ^ Yeh, Su-ping; Chung, Yu-chen (16 January 2019). "DPP election losses reflect unmet public expectations: party official". Central News Agency. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  18. ^ Wu, Debby (16 May 2005). "'New Culture Discourse' displeases almost everyone". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  19. ^ Wu, Debby (2 May 2004). "Raising the Hakka profile". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  20. ^ Wu, Debby (13 May 2005). "Keep ROC tag, young DPP urge". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  21. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (6 October 2005). "Two lawmakers launch bid to 'revitalize' DPP". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  22. ^ Huang, Jewel (3 October 2005). "Luo's call for a 'new DPP movement' strikes a nerve". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  23. ^ Huang, Jewel (15 October 2005). "New DPP movement reacts to president's flak". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  24. ^ "Get some 'zongzi' in you". Taipei Times. 19 June 2004. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  25. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (1 November 2007). "Luo's wife to go to US as he runs for public office". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.