Chen Chu

Who is Chen Chu?

Chen Chu or Kiku Chen is a Taiwanese politician who is the current mayor of Kaohsiung. She was one of the "Kaohsiung Eight," prominent dissidents arrested after the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979. She spent six years in jail during the martial law period in Taiwan.

Chen, who holds a master's degree from National Sun Yat-sen University, held senior appointed posts in Taipei City and Kaohsiung City governments between 1995 and 2000. She then served as minister of the Council of Labor Affairs between 2000 and 2005. In 2006, Chen Chu won the Kaohsiung mayoral elections and became the city's first elected female mayor. She was re-elected in 2010 with 52% of the vote in a three-way race.

On 30 August 2009, the 14th Dalai Lama accepted an invitation from Chen Chu to visit Taiwan.

Chen served as Acting Chair of the Democratic Progressive Party in 2012.