Eugene Chien
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Eugene You-hsin Chien (簡又新; pinyin: Jiǎn Yòuxīn) (b. February 4, 1946) is a politician and diplomat of the Republic of China on Taiwan.
He obtained a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the National Taiwan University in 1968. He travelled to the United States to earn a Master of Science (1971) and Ph.D. (1973) in aeronautics & astronautics from New York University. After returning to Taiwan, he became a professor at Tamkang University and served as Chairman of the Deptment of Aeronautical Engineering from 1976 to 1978 and Dean of the College of Engineering from 1978 to 1984.
Dr. Chien was a member of the Legislative Yuan from 1984 to 1987. He served as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from 1987 to 1991 and Minister of Transportation and Communications from 1991 to 1993. From 1993 to 1998, he was Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (the de facto ROC embassy) in the United Kingdom. He was a member of the Consultative Committee of the National Security Council from 1998 to 2000.
Despite having been a central committee member of the Kuomintang since 1988, Chien was asked to join the new DPP administration of Chen Shui-bian as Deputy Secretary General of the Office of the President in 2000. He held this position until he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2002.
Dr. Chien resigned as foreign minister on April 10, 2004, after Therese Shaheen quit her post as director of the American Institute in Taiwan amid a row over her recognition of Chen Shui-bian's disputed victory in the 2004 ROC presidential election. He was replaced by former Tainan County Commissioner Mark Chen. Chien had previously tendered his resignition after Liberia switched diplomatic recognition to the PRC, but his request was denied.
He was slated to be appointed the next ROC representative to Belgium and the European Union but his nomination was withdrawn amid a scandal—the TECO in London was alleged to have issued a passport and legal document to the wife of a high-profile fugitive arms dealer while Chien was foriegn minister.
He is married to Wang Kuei-jung and they have two sons and one daughter.