Chou Yang-shan

Chou attended National Taiwan University (NTU), and completed graduate studies at Columbia University. He was a reporter for the China Times and United Daily News, then taught at NTU and National Chengchi University.^[1]

Chou was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1995 from Taipei 1.^[1] He represented the New Party and was the party's caucus convener.^[2] After stepping down from the Legislative Yuan, Chou returned to NTU as a political analyst. In this position, he spoke to the media regarding foreign affairs,^[3] public opinion,^[4] the political nomination process,^[5] and constitutional reform.^[6] Though it was reported that Chou had accepted a nomination from the People First Party in the legislative elections of 2001,^[7][8] he was not elected to the Legislative Yuan for a second term. Instead, he represented the New Party in a case before the Central Election Commission regarding the joint nomination of Wang Chien-shien.^[9][10] He continued teaching at NTU, and served as an advisor to the Control Yuan.^[11]

Chou was elected to the National Assembly in 2005, and attended the legislative body's final meeting prior to its suspension.^[12] By 2007, he had joined the faculty of Chinese Culture University,^[13] and, backed by the New Party, launched an unsuccessful bid for the Legislative Yuan.^[14] Shortly thereafter, Chou was nominated and confirmed for a seat on the Control Yuan.^[15] In July 2009, Chou and Ma Yi-kung [zh] began investigating the Miaoli County Government's decision to remove kilns in Houlong Township in favor of urban redevelopment.^[16] Chou aided other probes regarding infrastructure,^[17] public land use,^[18] and immigration.^[19] In November 2010, Chou motioned to impeach Hu Chen-pu for misusing government funds.^[20] In January 2011, Chou disputed Lai Shin-yuan's statement that Taiwanese citizens have free choice with regard to the future because the Constitution of the Republic of China mandates unification with the mainland.^[21] That year, Chou participated in reviews exploring the possibility of simultaneous presidential and legislative elections for 2012,^[22] the South China Sea territorial disputes,^[23] and the average age of Taiwanese diplomats.^[24] In August, Chou and Ma Hsiu-ru's report on management practices at the Central News Agency led to the censure of the Government Information Office and Executive Yuan.^[25] Three months after the action against the GIO, Chou launched an investigation into Vanessa Shih, Taiwan's representative to Singapore.^[26] Upon completing the report in July 2012, Chou advocated for its conclusions to be declassified.^[27] Chou's agency eventually decided against his proposal.^[28][29] Though the United Daily News speculated that Chou would resign over this disagreement, he did not do so.^[30] Chou ended 2012 by finishing probes into social services for indigenous people and air pollution,^[31][32] while commencing an investigation into the construction of Miramar Resort Village on Shanyuan Bay in Taitung.^[33] In April 2013, a report authored by Chou pushed authorities to declassify documents relating to the 228 Incident.^[34][35] Controversially, this report quoted Chi Chia-lin [zh], who stated that Lee Teng-hui was of Japanese descent.^[36][37] That July, a report written by Chou and Ma Hsiu-ru led to the censure of the Ministry of Culture.^[38] Chou left the Control Yuan at the end of his six-year term in 2014, and later joined the faculty of National Quemoy University.^[39]