Preceded by Lee Tien-yu Representative Chen Chien-jen Nationality Taiwanese Constituency Taichung | Minister Lee Jye
Lee Tien-yu Preceded by Lee Ying-yuan Succeeded by Chen Chao-min | |
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Born 9 August 1941 (age 75)
Taichū Prefecture, Taiwan, Empire of Japan ( 1941-08-09 ) Political party Democratic Progressive Party Party Democratic Progressive Party Education California Western School of Law, National Taiwan University | ||
Michael Tsai (Chinese: 蔡明憲; born 9 August 1941) is a Taiwanese politician.
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Academic and legal career
Tsai earned a bachelor's of law degree from National Taiwan University before seeking further education in the United States with a master's in business administration from the University of Wisconsin and a Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law. For three years, he was a research fellow at the Center for Human Resources Development at San Diego State University. Tsai also practiced law in California, New York, and New Jersey before returning to Taiwan, where he taught law at National Taichung Institute of Technology and National Air University from 1991 to 2002.
Political career
Tsai was a member of the National Assembly from 1992 to 1996, then was elected to the Legislative Yuan twice in 1995 and 1998. He sought the Taichung mayoralty in 2001, and lost the election to Jason Hu. In April 2002, he was named deputy representative to the United States. On 9 June 2004, Tsai was sworn in as vice defense minister. He was named the Democratic Progressive Party candidate for Taichung 1 in 2008, and lost to Tsai Chin-lung in the January legislative elections. Following the electoral defeat, Michael Tsai was promoted to Minister of National Defense in February 2008, after the resignation of Lee Tien-yu.
While an active politician, Tsai wrote occasionally for the Taipei Times. After leaving politics, Tsai continues to advocate for stronger Taiwan–United States relations and has led the Taiwan United Nations Alliance.
Controversy
In November 2007, while Tsai was vice defense minister, Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation won a bid to produce equipment for the Republic of China Armed Forces. Kuomintang legislator Tsai Chin-lung had reviewed military equipment, found the specifications to violate the contract terms, and ordered AIDC to suspend production. Michael Tsai and DPP lawmakers Ho Min-hao and Hsieh Ming-yuan along with AIDC chairman Lo Cheng-fang, accused Tsai Chin-lung of interference on behalf of SYM, the company that had lost the contract. The Taipei District Court ruled in September 2011 that the claims against Tsai Chin-lung were unsubstantiated and ordered all four accusers to publish a public apology.
In April 2009, Next Magazine reported that Tsai was responsible for selling military ranks during his tenure as Minister of National Defense. Tsai denied the allegations and sued the publishers for defamation. Tsai released his memoirs, God Bless Taiwan in April 2011. Shortly before its official publication in 2013, Tsai was accused of leaking state secrets.
In August 2014, Tsai and Chiou I-jen were accused of violating the Classified National Security Information Protection Act. The Supreme Court found both not guilty in November 2015.