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Kao Chin Su-mei

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Kao Chin Su-mei
高金素梅
Member of the Legislative Yuan
Assumed office
1 February 2002
Preceded byKao Yang-sheng
ConstituencyHighland Aborigines
Personal details
Born
Chin Su-mei

(1965-09-21) 21 September 1965 (age 59)
Heping, Taichung County, Taiwan
Political partyIndependent (2001–2004; 2019–present)
Other political
affiliations
Non-Partisan Solidarity Union (2004–present)
Domestic partner(s)Kenny Ho (1989–1993)
Xu Zhiyuan (2010–2013)
Alma materMinzu University of China
Occupationpolitician, former actress, former singer
Other namesCiwas Ali
May Chin
Kao Chin Su-mei
Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinGāo Jīn Sùméi
Wade–GilesKao Chin Su-mei
Ciwas Ali
Traditional Chinese·
Simplified Chinese·
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinJíwásī Ālì
Wade–GilesChi-wa-ssu A-li

Kao Chin Su-mei (born September 21, 1965), also known as Chin Su-mei, May Chin and Ciwas Ali, is a Taiwanese politician and retired actress and singer. She is of Manchu and Atayal descent, Ciwas Ali being her Atayal name.

In the 1980s and 1990s, she starred in many popular TV series and films including Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet (1993). She also released several Mandopop albums. She retired from showbiz in 1999 following her diagnosis of liver cancer which she recovered from.

Chin was elected into the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in December 2001, and re-elected in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020, all in the Highland Aborigines electoral district. Representing the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union, she is currently the only party member in the Legislative Yuan, and a strong advocate of aboriginal rights. She is also associated with the Pan-Blue Coalition

Early life

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Chin Su-mei was born in Heping Township, Taichung County (present day part of Taichung City), Taiwan. Her father was an ethnic Manchu from mainland China. In the mid-1980s, she stood for election to be a representative of Taiwanese Aborigines within the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan), during which she took on the Chinese surname of her Taiwanese Aborigine mother, hence becoming Kao Chin Su-mei. Her Atayal name is Ciwas Ali and May Chin remains her stage name.

Chin also released at least 8 Mandopop albums and appeared in various local commercials. Besides acting, May Chin ran a wedding photography service shop in Taipei during the mid-1990s. However, the shop burned down in 1996, claiming six lives.

Political career

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Since entering the Legislative Yuan after elected in the 2001 Republic of China legislative election, Chin has been noted for her outspoken views, traditional Atayal costume and face paint in the shape of traditional Atayal tattoo work reserved for married women.

On 19 August 2009, Chin met with the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Jintao.[1] At the meeting, General Secretary Hu expressed his deep sorrow and condolences for the typhoon victims in Taiwan to an actor-turned-politician Kao who led a delegation of her fellow ethnic minorities in Taiwan to visit the mainland. Hu added that "People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are of one family and Chinese people have a long tradition of lending a hand to those in danger and difficulties."[2]

Personal life

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Chin was never married. She was once in a relationship with Hong Kong actor Kenny Ho whom she first met on the set of the Taiwanese drama Endless Love in 1989. They later separated in 1993 and still remain good friends. Chin and Ho agreed that if they are still single by the age of 60, they would spend the rest of their lives together.[3]

In 2006, Next Magazine uncovered her long-lasting extramarital affair with the Minister of the Interior Lee Hong-yuan between mid-2000s and early 2010s.[4][5]

In 2011 she entered into a relationship with a renowned Taiwanese journalist and writer Xu Zhiyuan. They later broke up in 2013 but still remain good friends.[6]

Filmography

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Films

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Year English title Chinese title Role Notes
1987 May Jane 梅珍 May Jane
1988 Hero of Tomorrow 江湖接班人 Yeung Lai-ling
Human, Sentiment, Law 情與法
1993 The Wedding Banquet 喜宴 Gu Weiwei
Magic Sword 將邪神劍 Mo Ye
1999 Woman Soup 女湯 Faye

Television

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Year English title Chinese title Role Notes
1987 Porters 挑伕 Yu'er
1989 Endless Love 不了情 Zeng Jiayu
1990 Wan-chun 婉君 Yanhong
Three Flowers 三朵花 Zhang Nianchen
Love Ding Yuenü
1992 Fate sequel of Love
1993 Terracotta Warriors 秦俑 Fan Dong'er
1999 The Mute and the Bride 啞巴與新娘 Xu Huimei only first few episodes due to cancer diagnosis

Electoral history

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No. Candidate Party Votes Ratio Elected
2001 (5th)
1 Kao Chin Su-mei Independent 8,909 10.42% Yes
2 Lee Wen-lai (李文來) People First Party 8,259 9.66%
3 Ho Hsin-chun (何信軍) Kuomintang 8,530 9.97%
4 Yu Meng-tyieh (余夢蝶) Democratic Progressive Party 5,132 6.00%
5 Yisao Ludao (伊掃·魯刀) Independent 790 0.92%
6 Chuan Wen-sheng Kuomintang 6,318 7.39%
7 Walis Perin Taiwan Number One Party 9,194 10.75% Yes
8 Kao Yang-sheng Kuomintang 7,104 8.31%
9 Lin Wen-sheng (林文生) Taiwan Solidarity Union 4,092 4.78%
10 Lin Chun-te People First Party 8,647 10.11% Yes
11 Payen Talu Democratic Progressive Party 4,567 5.34%
12 Tseng Hua-te (曾華德) Kuomintang 13,982 16.35% Yes
2004 (6th)
1 Walis Perin Non-Partisan Solidarity Union 9,415 11.54%
2 Tseng Hua-te Kuomintang 13,536 16.59% Yes
3 Lee Hsiu-chin (李秀琴) Independent 216 0.26%
4 Wu Hsin-kuo (伍新國) Independent 3,145 3.85%
5 Kao Chin Su-mei Independent 16,284 19.96% Yes
6 Chen Tao-ming Democratic Progressive Party 5,785 7.09%
7 Kung Wen-chi (孔文吉) Kuomintang 17,307 21.21% Yes
8 Lin Wen-sheng Taiwan Solidarity Union 3,719 4.56%
9 Lin Chun-te People First Party 12,179 14.93% Yes
2008 (7th)
1 Syue Yi-jhen (薛宜蓁) Civil Party 443 0.53%
2 Kung Wen-chi Kuomintang 22,391 26.54% Yes
3 Chien Tung-ming Kuomintang 22,659 26.86% Yes
4 Hou Jin-jhu (侯金助) Democratic Progressive Party 4,420 5.24%
5 Kao Chin Su-mei Non-Partisan Solidarity Union 20,012 23.72% Yes
6 Lin Chun-te People First Party 14,265 16.91%
7 Sung Jen-ho (宋仁和) Taiwan Constitution Association 168 0.20%
2012 (8th)
1 Tseng Chih-yung (曾智勇) Democratic Progressive Party 9,968 8.54%
2 Kao Chin Su-mei Non-Partisan Solidarity Union 29,520 25.29% Yes
3 Chiu Wen-sheng (邱文生) Independent 1,481 1.26%
4 Kung Wen-chi Kuomintang 31,629 27.10% Yes
5 Walis Perin People First Party 15,533 13.30%
6 Chien Tung-ming Kuomintang 28,581 24.48% Yes
2016 (9th)
1 Lin Shih-wei (林世偉) Independent 2,247 1.99%
2 Yumin Suyang (尤命·蘇樣) China Production Party 568 0.50%
3 Tseng Hua-te Independent 5,326 4.71%
4 Walis Perin Democratic Progressive Party 16,658 14.75%
5 Yilan Mingjinuan (伊藍·明基努安) Faith and Hope League 7,750 6.86%
6 Kung Wen-chi Kuomintang 20,105 17.80% Yes
7 Chien Tung-ming Kuomintang 25,940 22.96% Yes
8 Chuan Cheng-wei (全承威) Taiwan Independence Party 496 0.44%
9 Lin Hsin-yi (林信義) Faith and Hope League 6,185 5.48%
10 Kao Chin Su-mei Non-Partisan Solidarity Union 27,690 24.51% Yes

References

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  1. ^ "高金素梅:总书记给了我们温暖的拥抱". China News Service (in Chinese (China)). 2009-08-19.
  2. ^ "Hu expresses condolences for Typhoon Morakot victims in Taiwan". Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
  3. ^ Chu, Peijun (2009-03-19). "何家勁、高金素梅 60歲未婚就牽手到老" [If unmarried at 60, Kenny Ho and Kao Chin Su-mei will link up]. United Daily News. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  4. ^ "壹週刊直擊 高金素梅、李鴻源同居".
  5. ^ "高金素梅搭上已婚副縣長". Apple Daily 蘋果日報. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  6. ^ "Kao Chin's cross-strait love affair kaputz: friend". The China Post. 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
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