Chao Chien-ming

Chao Chien-ming (born June 29, 1972) is the son-in-law of Chen Shui-bian, the current president of the Republic of China on Taiwan. He was married to Chen Shui-bian's daughter Chen Hsing-yu on September 27, 2001. They have three sons born in 2002, 2004, and July 2006.

Chao is a native of Yanshuei township in Tainan County and graduated from National Taiwan University's School of Medicine in 1998. After graduation, he did not serve his military service, as he was excused on account of gout. (There are recurrent accusations, not proven or disproven, that the gout complaint was manufactured.) Chao worked as a resident doctor in National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH)'s Orthopaedic Surgery department from 1998 to 2003. Meantime he married Chen Hsing-yu (and became well-known on account of the marriage), and became a fully qualified orthopaedic surgeon in the same hospital in 2003.

Chao was taken into custody on May 24, 2006 by Taipei Municipal Court on charges of insider stock trading and embezzlement. The scandal has further alienated the people of the ROC, already dissatisfied with the Chen Administration. Most polls suggest that President Chen's approval rate is at about 20%, and a survey conducted by the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), a party at times allied with Chen's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), showed a 5.9% approval rating. After his arrest, NTUH suspended his hospital privileges. On July 10, 2006, Chao was officially charged with insider trading, and the prosecutors sought to have him imprisoned for eight years. As per the ROC criminal procedure, Chao was then allowed to post bail of 10,000,000 New Taiwan dollars. His father Chao Yu-chu (趙玉柱), who was not taken into custody, was also charged with similar offenses and prosecutors sought to have him imprisoned for ten years. Chao issued a public apology for "careless behavior" but indicated that he believed himself to be innocent and intended to fight the charges. (DPP chairman Yu Shyi-kun and Vice President Annette Lu have both said that they found Chao's apology to be insufficient.) The NTUH administration has indicated that it believed that laws and internal regulations require the NTUH to restore Chao's privilege should Chao apply for reinstatement, but Chao has not done so so far, although he had been seen at the hospital frequently since his release. In response, on July 14, NTU ordered that Chao not be allowed to be in the hospital except when escorted by security guards.

On December 27, 2006 the Taipei Municipal Court sentenced Chao Yu-chu to 8 years and 4 months, and Chao Chien-ming to 6 years in prison for their insider trade; each was also given a fine of NT$30 million. The Chaos' attorneys indicated that they will appeal.

趙建銘