This is a list of

heads of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 "he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and le ...

of the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

Current office holders

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President of the Republic of China The president of the Republic of China, now often referred to as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Republic of China (ROC), as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The position once had aut ...

, - , rowspan=5, 蔡英文官方元首肖像照

, width=100px, Institution , colspan=2,

Presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...

, rowspan=5, The President is legally the nation's head of state who is responsible for the Republic China's image. The office is an executive role and, therefore, holds responsibilities such as greeting foreign dignitaries and signing the appointment of embassy staff. This position is directly elected by the citizens of the Free Area. Until 1996, it was indirectly elected by the National Assembly. , - , Current holder , colspan=2 width=400px,

Tsai Ing-wen Tsai Ing-wen (; born 31 August 1956) is a Taiwanese politician serving as president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 2016. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Tsai is the first female president of Taiwan. She served as ...

, - , Birthplace , colspan=2,

Taipei City Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the Capital city, capital and a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Regions of Taiwan, Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of t ...

Taiwan Province Taiwan Province (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ, PFS: ''Thòi-vàn-sén'' or ''Thòi-vân-sén'') is a nominal Administrative divisions of Taiwan, administrative division of the Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC). Its definition has remained part of the Constit ...

, - , Party , colspan=2,

Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a Taiwanese nationalist and centre-left political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). Controlling both the Republic of China presidency and the unicameral Legislative Yuan, it is the majori ...

, - , Since , colspan=2, 20 May 2016 , - !colspan=5,

President of the Executive Yuan The Premier of the Republic of China, officially the President of the Executive Yuan ( Chinese: 行政院院長), is the head of the government of the Republic of China of Taiwan and leader of the Executive Yuan. The premier is nominally the ...

, - , rowspan=5, , width=100px, Institution , colspan=2,

Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Its leader is the Premier, who is appointed by the President of the Republic of China, and requires confirmation by the Legislative Yuan. ...

, rowspan=5, The President of the Executive Yuan is the highest administrative position in the

Government of the Republic of China The Government of the Republic of China, is the national government of the Republic of China whose ''de facto'' territory currently consists of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other island groups in the "free area". Governed by the De ...

. The Premier is nominally the principal advisor to the president of the Republic and holds the highest rank in the civil service of the central government and presides over the Executive Yuan Council, which makes up the official cabinet. The vice premier, ministers, and chairpersons of the Executive Yuan Council are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier. The premier's official duties also include presenting administrative policies and reports to the Legislators, responding to the interpellations of legislators (much like Question Time in some parliamentary systems), and, with the approval of the president, asking the Legislators to reconsider its resolutions. Laws and decrees promulgated by the President must also be countersigned by the Premier. , - , Current holder , colspan=2,

Su Tseng-chang Hope Su Tseng-chang (; born 28 July 1947) is a Taiwanese politician serving as premier of the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 2019, and previously from 2006 to 2007. He was the chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party in 2005 and from 2012 ...

, - , Birthplace , colspan=2,

Pingtung City Pingtung City (; Hokkien Pe̍h-ōe-jī, POJ: ''Pîn-tong-chhī'') is a county-administered city and the county seat of Pingtung County, Taiwan. History The area of modern-day Pingtung City was originally a village of the Taiwanese Plains Aborig ...

Kaohsiung County Kaohsiung County was a county in southern Taiwan between 1945 and 2010. The county seat was located in Fongshan City. History Kaohsiung County was established on 6 December 1945 on the territory of Takao Prefecture () shortly after the end of W ...

, - , Party , colspan=2,

, - , Since , colspan=2, 14 January 2019 , - !colspan=5,

President of the Legislative Yuan The president of the Legislative Yuan is the Speaker (politics), presiding officer of the Legislative Yuan of the Taiwan, Republic of China. The incumbent president is Yu Shyi-kun, a Democratic Progressive Party legislator and the second DPP Pr ...

, - , rowspan=5, 立法委員游錫堃

, width=100px, Institution , colspan=2,

Legislative Yuan The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for 4-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a parallel v ...

, rowspan=5, The President of the Legislative Yuan presides over the Yuan Sittings and the meetings of the Committee of the Entire Yuan and is responsible for the administration of the Yuan. In the cases in which the president of the Legislative Yuan is unable to attend to his or her duties, the vice president acts in his or her place. , - , Current holder , colspan=2,

You Si-kun You Si-kun (; born 25 April 1948), also romanized Yu Shyi-kun, is a Taiwanese people, Taiwanese politician serving as a member and the president of the Legislative Yuan. He was one of the founding members of the Democratic Progressive Party ( ...

, - , Birthplace , colspan=2, Dongshan Township, Yilan County,

, - , Party , colspan=2,

, - , Since , colspan=2, 1 January 2020 , - !colspan=5,

President of the Judicial Yuan The Judicial Yuan () is the judicial branch of the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan.''See'' Constitution arts. 77-82, ''available at'' ''See'' Additional Articles of the Constitution art. 5, ''available at'' It runs a Constitutio ...

, - , rowspan=5, Hsu Tzong-li 2014

, width=100px, Institution , colspan=2,

Judicial Yuan The Judicial Yuan () is the judicial branch of the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan.''See'' Constitution arts. 77-82, ''available at'' ''See'' Additional Articles of the Constitution art. 5, ''available at'' It runs a Constitution ...

, rowspan=5, The President of the Judicial Yuan is also called the Chief justice, which mandated that the position holder shall also be a justice in the Constitutional Court. The President shall be nominated and, with the consent of the Control Yuan, appointed by the President of the Republic. In the current constitution, the President of the Judicial Yuan shall be nominated by the President of the Republic and approved by the Legislative Yuan. , - , Current holder , colspan=2,

Hsu Tzong-li Hsu Tzong-li (; born 10 February 1956) is a Taiwanese judge who has served as the President of the Judicial Yuan since 2016. Academic career Hsu studied at National Taiwan University and later, in 1986, obtained his PhD in law (Dr.iur.) from t ...

, - , Birthplace , colspan=2,

Chiayi City Chiayi (, Taiwanese Hokkien, Taigi Pe̍h-ōe-jī, POJ: ''Ka-gī''; ), officially known as Chiayi City, is a Provincial city (Taiwan), city located in the plains of southwestern Taiwan. Formerly called ''Kagee'' during the late Qing dynasty and ...

, - , Party , colspan=2, Independent , - , Since , colspan=2, 1 November 2016 , - !colspan=5,

President of the Examination Yuan The president of the Examination Yuan is the head of the constitutional branch in the Republic of China. List Pre-1947 Constitution Post-1947 Constitution Timeline See also * Constitution of the Republic of China References External ...

, - , rowspan=5, Huang Jong-tsun (cropped)

, width=100px, Institution , colspan=2,

Examination Yuan The Examination Yuan is the civil service commission branch, in charge of validating the qualification of civil servants, of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). It has a president, a vice president, and seven to nine members, all ...

, rowspan=5, The President of the Examination Yuan is responsible for the oversight to administrate all national exams and is responsible for the examinations and management of all civil service personnel. , - , Current holder , colspan=2,

Huang Jong-tsun Huang Jong-tsun (; born 30 March 1947) is a Taiwanese politician and psychologist who serves as the current President of the Examination Yuan. Prior to assuming his current role, Huang had served as President of China Medical University from ...

, - , Birthplace , colspan=2, Tianzhong Township,

Changhua County Changhua County (Mandarin Pinyin: ''Zhānghuà Xiàn''; Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴ Hsien⁴''; Hokkien POJ: ''Chiang-hòa-koān'' or ''Chiong-hòa-koān'') is the smallest county on the main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smallest ...

, - , Party , colspan=2, Independent , - , Since , colspan=2, 1 September 2020 , - !colspan=5, President of the Control Yuan , - , rowspan=5, Chen Chu in August 2020

, width=100px, Institution , colspan=2,

Control Yuan The Control Yuan is the supervisory and auditory branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Prior to constitutional reforms in the 1990s, the Control Yuan, along with National Assembly (electoral college) and the Legislative ...

, rowspan=5, The President of the Control Yuan oversees the affairs of the Yuan and supervise subordinate agencies, exercises constitutional powers of impeachment, censure, and audit and proposes corrective measures in overseeing government, effectively achieving good governance, protecting human rights, and fighting corruption. The President also presided over Control Yuan meetings when it functioned as a parliamentary chamber. , - , Current holder , colspan=2,

Chen Chu Chen Chu or Kiku Chen (; born 10 June 1950) is the current President of the Control Yuan and Chair of the National Human Rights Commission. Before assuming her current post, Chen had served as Secretary-General to the President from 2018 to ...

, - , Birthplace , colspan=2,

Ludong Township The lobed river mullet (''Cestraeus goldiei''), also known as ludong or banak, is a freshwater mullet. While it is claimed to be endemic to Cagayan River and tributaries extending through the watersheds of Cagayan Valley and the Santa-Abra Rive ...

Taipei County New Taipei City is a special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest special municipality by area, be ...

, - , Party , colspan=2,

, - , Since , colspan=2, 1 August 2020 , -

Historical office holders

Military Governments (1911)

2007TaipeiInternationalFlowerExhibition ShuibianChen

2008 Taipei IT Month Opening Ying-jeou Ma

Beginning with the

Wuchang Uprising The Wuchang Uprising was an armed rebellion against the ruling Qing dynasty that took place in Wuchang (now Wuchang District of Wuhan), Hubei, China on 10 October 1911, beginning the Xinhai Revolution that successfully overthrew China's last i ...

on 11 October 1911 and in the following two months, provincial military governments declared their independence from the

Qing Empire The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

under the name "Republic of China." On 30 November 1911, the "Central Military Government of the Republic of China" was established under the leadership of

Li Yuanhong Li Yuanhong (; courtesy name Songqing 宋卿) (October 19, 1864 – June 3, 1928) was a Chinese politician during the Qing dynasty and the Republic of China. He was the president of the Republic of China between 1916 and 1917, and between 1922 ...

Provisional Government of the Republic of China (Nanjing, 1912; Beijing, 1912–1913)

Provisional President of the Republic of China (臨時大總統): *

Sun Yat-sen Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...

(1 January 1912 - 10 March 1912) *

Yuan Shikai Yuan Shikai (; 16 September 1859 – 6 June 1916) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty and eventually ended the Qing dynasty rule of China in 1912, later becoming the Emperor of China. H ...

(10 March 1912 - 10 October 1913) The "Republic of China" was formally proclaimed on 1 January 1912 and Sun Yat-sen took office in Nanking (now

Nanjing Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...

) as the first provisional president. Sun resigned on March 10 and was succeeded by

Prime Minister Yuan Shikai. This moved the government to

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

Government of the Republic of China (Beijing, 1913–1928)

Yuan Shikai enacted a new Constitution to greatly expand his powers as president and abolish the National Assembly. Sun Yat-sen and his supporters responded with the failed Second Revolution and were subsequently exiled. The later ROC governments under the KMT (and the current

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

government) considers the Beiyang Government after this point to be illegitimate. *

(10 October 1913 - 22 December 1915) Yuan Shikai declared himself Emperor on 22 December 1915. Popular opposition led Yuan to retract his declaration on 22 March 1916. *

(22 March 1916 - 6 June 1916) *

(7 June 1916 - 1 July 1917) Yuan died in 1916 and was succeeded by Vice President Li Yuan-hung. Warlord

Zhang Xun Zhang Xun (; September 16, 1854 – September 11, 1923), courtesy name Shaoxuan (), art name Songshoulaoren (), nickname Bianshuai (, ), was a Chinese general and Qing loyalist who attempted to restore the abdicated emperor Puyi in the Manchu ...

restored

Puyi Aisin-Gioro Puyi (; 7 February 1906 – 17 October 1967), courtesy name Yaozhi (曜之), was the last emperor of China as the eleventh and final Qing dynasty monarch. He became emperor at the age of two in 1908, but was forced to abdicate on 1 ...

to the throne for twelve days from July 1 to 12 July 1917. The Republican government was soon restored, but local warlords forced Li from office. *

(12 July 1917 - 17 July 1917) *

Feng Guozhang Feng Guozhang, (; courtesy: Huafu 華甫 or 華符) (January 7, 1859 – December 12, 1919) was a Chinese general and politician in early republican China. He held the office of Vice-President and then President of the Republic of China. He is ...

(17 July 1917 - 10 October 1918) *

Xu Shichang Xu Shichang (Hsu Shih-chang; ; courtesy name: Juren (Chu-jen; 菊人); October 20, 1855 – June 5, 1939) was the President of the Republic of China, in Beijing, from 10 October 1918 to 2 June 1922. The only permanent president of the Beiyang ...

(10 October 1918 - 2 June 1922) *''

Zhou Ziqi Zhou Ziqi () (17 November 1869 – 21 October 1923) was a Chinese educator and politician in the late Qing dynasty and early republican period. During the early part of the Republic, he served multiple roles: first in multiple ministry positio ...

(2 Jun 1922 - 11 Jun 1922) (acting)'' *

(11 June 1922 - 13 June 1923) *''

Zhang Shaozeng Zhang Shaozeng (; Wade-Giles Chang Shao-ts'eng) (9 October 1879 – 21 March 1928) was a Beiyang Army general in charge of the 20th Division. Biography He was born in Zhili province and graduated from a Japanese military academy in 1901. He wa ...

(13 Jun 1923 - 9 Sep 1923) (acting)'' *''

Gao Lingwei Gao Lingwei (; Hepburn: Kō Ryōi); (1870–1940) was a Chinese politician during the late Qing dynasty and the early Republic of China. A Tianjin native, he was appointed to Hubei where he held many offices relating to finance and education i ...

(9 Sep 1923 - 10 Oct 1923) (acting)'' *

Cao Kun General Cao Kun (; courtesy name: Zhongshan () (December 12, 1862 – May 15, 1938) was a Chinese warlord and politician, who served the President of the Republic of China from 1923 to 1924, as well as the military leader of the Zhili clique in ...

(10 October 1923 - 2 November 1924) *'' Huang Fu (2 Nov 1924 - 24 Nov 1924) (acting)'' *

Duan Qirui Duan Qirui (; ) (March 6, 1865 – November 2, 1936) was a Chinese warlord and politician, a commander of the Beiyang Army and the acting Chief Executive of the Republic of China (in Beijing) from 1924 to 1926. He was also the Premier of the R ...

(24 November 1924 - 20 April 1926) *'' Hu Weide (20 Apr 1926 - 13 May 1926) (acting)'' *''

Yan Huiqing Yan Huiqing (Wade–Giles: Yen Hui-Ch'ing, (also Weiching Williams Yen or simply W.W. Yen) 顏惠慶 (2 April 1877 – 24 May 1950) was a Chinese diplomat and politician who served under the Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China and the People's Re ...

(13 May 1926 - 22 Jun 1926) (acting)'' *'' Du Xigui (22 Jun 1926 - 1 Oct 1926) (acting)'' *''

Wellington Koo Koo Vi Kyuin (; January 29, 1888 – November 14, 1985), better known as V. K. Wellington Koo, was a statesman of the Republic of China. He was one of Republic of China's representatives at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. Wellington Koo ...

(1 Oct 1926 - 18 Jun 1927) (acting)'' *

Zhang Zuolin Zhang Zuolin (; March 19, 1875 June 4, 1928), courtesy name Yuting (雨亭), nicknamed Zhang Laogang (張老疙瘩), was an influential Chinese bandit, soldier, and warlord during the Warlord Era in China. The warlord of Manchuria from 1916 to ...

(18 June 1927 - 2 June 1928) The Beiyang Government was extinguished by the

Northern Expedition The Northern Expedition was a military campaign launched by the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the Kuomintang (KMT), also known as the "Chinese Nationalist Party", against the Beiyang government and other regional warlords in 1926. The ...

led by the

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...

Military Government (Guangzhou, 1917–1925)

The

Chinese Revolutionary Party The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...

established a rival government in

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

and declared legitimacy over the "warlord" government in Beijing (which they renamed Beiping since ''jing'' means "capital"). Generalissimo of the Military Government (海陸軍大元帥): *

(10 September 1917 - 5 July 1918) The Military Government was headed collectively by the Governing Committee of the Military Government (5 July 1918 - 21 August 1918), viz., *Sun Yat-sen *

Tang Shaoyi Tang Shaoyi (; 2 January 1862 – 30 September 1938), also spelled Tong Shao Yi, courtesy name Shaochuan (), was a Chinese statesman who briefly served as the first Premier of the Republic of China in 1912. In 1938, he was assassinated by the ...

Wu Tingfang Wu Ting-fang (; 30 July 184223 June 1922) was a diplomat and politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and briefly as Acting Premier during the early years of the Republic of China. He was also known as Ng Choy or Ng Achoy (). Ed ...

Cen Chunxuan Cen Chunxuan (1861 – 27 April 1933), courtesy name Yunjie, was a Zhuang Chinese politician who lived in the late Qing dynasty and Republic of China. Early career Cen was born in 1861 during the late Qing dynasty in Xilin, Guangxi. Hi ...

Lu Rongting Lu Rongting (; September 9, 1859 – November 6, 1928), also spelled as Lu Yung-ting and Lu Jung-t'ing, was a late Qing/early Republican military and political leader from Wuming, Guangxi. Lu belonged to the Zhuang ethnic group.吴振汉. � ...

Tang Jiyao Tang Jiyao () (August 14, 1883 – May 23, 1927) was a Chinese general and warlord of Yunnan during the Warlord Era of early Republican China. He was military governor of Yunnan from 1913-27. Life Tang was born in Huize county in 1883 in ...

* Lin Baoyi In 1918, Sun Yat-sen and his government was forced out of Guangdong by warlords. The Military Government was consolidated by Chairman of the Governing Committee (主席總裁): *

(21 August 1918 - 24 October 1920) Sun Yat-sen and his supporters were restored in Guangzhou with the help of local warlord

Chen Jiongming Chen Jiongming, (; 18 January 187822 September 1933), courtesy name Jingcun (竞存/競存), nickname Ayan (阿烟/阿煙), was a Hailufeng Hokkien revolutionary figure in the early period of the Republic of China. Early life Chen Jiongming wa ...

in 1920. On 24 October 1920 to 4 May 1921, figurehead duties were again given collectively to the Governing Committee of the Military Government, viz., *Sun Yat-sen *Tang Shaoyi *Wu Tingfang *Tang Jiyao. Sun Yat-sen was elected "President" by remnants of the 1912 National Assembly, but since this parliament lacked the quorum established by the 1912 Constitution, he took the title of Extraordinary President (非常大總統): *

(5 May 1921 - 29 June 1922) In 1922, Sun was expelled from Guangdong by Chen Jiongming. Sun Yat-sen was restored in Guangdong in 1923 and established the National Government with the help of the Comintern. Generalissimo of the Military Government (海陸軍大元帥): *

(2 March 1923 - 12 March 1925) Sun died in 1925 and was succeeded as acting Generalissimo of the National Government by Hu Hanmin. *''

Hu Hanmin Hu Hanmin (; born in Panyu, Guangdong, Qing dynasty, China, 9 December 1879 – Kwangtung, Republic of China, 12 May 1936) was a Chinese philosopher and politician who was one of the early conservative right factional leaders in the Kuomintang ...

(12 March 1925 - 1 July 1925) (acting)''

National Government (Guangzhou, 1925–1927)

Chairmen of the National Government (國民政府主席): *

Wang Jingwei Wang Jingwei (4 May 1883 – 10 November 1944), born as Wang Zhaoming and widely known by his pen name Jingwei, was a Chinese politician. He was initially a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang, leading a government in Wuhan in oppositi ...

(1 July 1925 - 15 April 1926) Wang Ching-wei was forced out of office over the attempted kidnapping of Chiang Kai-shek in the Zhongshan Gunboat Incident. *

Tan Yankai Tan Yankai (; ; January 25, 1880 – September 22, 1930) was a Chinese politician. Biography Tan Yankai was born on 25 January 1880 in Hangzhou during the waning decades of the Qing dynasty. He was the son of the Qing minister Tan Zhonglin ...

(16 April 1926 - 29 March 1927) In 1927, the

embarked on the

and left its base in Guangzhou for Wuhan, Nanjing, and Shanghai in three separate divisions.

National Government (Wuhan, 1927)

During the

, Wang Ching-wei declared

Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...

to be the capital of the Republic of China after the city's capture by National Revolutionary Army forces loyal to the KMT left-wing. Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National Government: *

(20 March 1927 - 13 September 1927)

National Government (Nanjing, 1927–1937; Chongqing, 1937–1945; Nanjing, 1945–1947)

Chiang Kai-shek declared the capital of the Republic of China to be in

after the city's capture by National Revolutionary Army forces loyal to the KMT right-wing during the Northern Expedition. Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National Government: *

Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...

(18 April 1927 - 15 August 1927) *

(15 August 1927 - 10 October 1928) The leftist government in Wuhan was overwhelmed by local warlords and agreed to join the Nationalist Government in Nanjing in September 1928. Chairmen of the National Government (國民政府主席): *

(10 October 1928 - 15 December 1931) *

Lin Sen Lin Sen (; 16 March 1868 – 1 August 1943), courtesy name Tze-chao (子超), sobriquet Chang-jen (長仁), was a Chinese politician who served as Chairman of the National Government of the Republic of China from 1931 until his death. Early l ...

(15 December 1931 - 1 August 1943) The National Government relocated to

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

from 1937 to 1945 due to the Japanese invasion. *

(1 August 1943 - 20 May 1948)

Provisional National Government (Beijing, 1937–1940)

The Provisional National Government was established as a Japanese collaborationist government established under occupation. Acting Chairman of the Provisional National Government: *

Wang Kemin Wang Kemin (; Wade-Giles: Wang K'o-min, May 4, 1879 – December 25, 1945) was a leading official in the Chinese republican movement and early Beiyang government, later noted for his role as in the collaborationist Provisional Government ...

(14 December 1937 - 30 March 1940)

Reformed National Government (Nanjing, 1938–1940)

The Reformed National Government was established as a Japanese collaborationist government established under occupation. Acting Chairman of the Reformed National Government: *

Liang Hongzhi Liang Hongzhi; (; Wade-Giles: ''Liang Hung-chih''; Hepburn: ''Ryō Koushi'', 1882 - November 6, 1946) was a leading official in the Anhui clique of the Beiyang Government, later noted for his role as in the collaborationist Reformed Governmen ...

(28 March 1938 - 30 March 1940)

National Government (Nanjing, 1940–1945)

A National Government, as a challenge to the legitimacy of Chiang Kai-shek's National Government in Chongqing, was established as a Japanese collaborationist government established under occupation. As evidence of its claims to legitimacy, the government in Nanjing established the same set of institutions as the one in Chongqing and flew an almost-identical flag. This replaced the Provisional and Reformed National Governments. Chairmen of the National Government (國民政府主席): *

(30 March 1940 - 10 November 1944) *'' Chen Gongbo (20 Nov 1944 - Aug 1945) (acting)''

Constitutional Government (Nanjing, 1947–1949; Guangzhou/Chongqing/Chengdu, 1949; Taipei, 1949–present)

A new constitution was promulgated on 25 December 1947 and Chiang Kai-shek was subsequently elected President by the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

. President of the Republic of China (中華民國總統): *

(20 May 1948 - 21 January 1949) *''

Li Zongren Li Zongren or Li Tsung-jen (; 13 August 1890 – 30 January 1969), courtesy name Telin (Te-lin; ), was a prominent Guangxi warlord and Kuomintang (KMT) military commander during the Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese C ...

(January 21, 1949 - March 1, 1950) (acting)'' Chiang Kai-shek resigned amid losses in the

Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...

. The government moved from Nanjing to Guangzhou, then to Chongqing and finally Chengdu before arriving to

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...

on 8 December 1949. Li Tsung-jen had left for the United States in November 1949 and Chiang officially resumed his powers in March 1950. This regime remained the internationally recognized true government of China with sovereignty throughout mainland China, Taiwan, Tibet Area, Sinkiang and Outer Mongolia until recognition shifted to the

by the United Nations in 1971 and the United States in 1979. *

(1 March 1950 - 5 April 1975) (first to fifth terms) *

Yen Chia-kan Yen Chia-kan (; 23 October 1905 – 24 December 1993), also known as C. K. Yen, was a Kuomintang politician. He succeeded Chiang Kai-shek as President of the Republic of China on 5 April 1975, being sworn in on 6 April 1975, and served out the ...

(6 April 1975 - 20 May 1978) (fifth term) *

Chiang Ching-kuo Chiang Ching-kuo (27 April 1910 – 13 January 1988) was a politician of the Republic of China after its retreat to Taiwan. The eldest and only biological son of former president Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government ...

(20 May 1978 - 13 January 1988) (sixth and seventh terms) *

Lee Teng-hui Lee Teng-hui (; 15 January 192330 July 2020) was a Taiwanese statesman and economist who served as President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) under the 1947 Constitution and chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) from 1988 to 2000. He was the fir ...

(13 January 1988 - 20 May 1996) (seventh and eighth terms) Starting from the ninth term the president is elected by popular vote among citizens of the Republic of China in the "

Free Area of the Republic of China The free area of the Republic of China, also known as the "Taiwan Area of the Republic of China", "Tai-Min Area (Taiwan and Fujian)" or simply the "Taiwan Area", is a term used by the government of the Republic of China (ROC) to refer to ...

" (area under ''de facto'' Republic of China administration), instead of by the National Assembly. *

(20 May 1996 - 20 May 2000) (ninth term) *

Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian (; born 12 October 1950) is a retired Taiwanese politician and lawyer who served as the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) whic ...

(20 May 2000 - 20 May 2008) (tenth and eleventh terms) *

Ma Ying-Jeou Ma Ying-jeou ( zh, 馬英九, born 13 July 1950) is a Hong Kong-born Taiwanese politician who served as president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. Previously, he served as justice minister from 1993 to 1996 and mayor of Taipei from ...

(20 May 2008 – 20 May 2016) (twelfth and thirteenth terms) *

(20 May 2016 – present) (fourteenth and fifteenth terms)