page_title: Fredrick Chien
section_title: Early career
hierarchical_section_title: Fredrick Chien / Early career
caption_attribution_description: English: 1st Annual Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award, 1963-12
context_page_description: Fredrick F. Chien, or Chien Foo, is a retired Taiwanese diplomat and politician who served as the President of the Republic of China Control Yuan from 1999 to 2005. His previous governmental positions include Director-General of the Government Information Office from 1972 to 1975, ROC Representative to the United States from 1982 to 1988, Chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development from 1988 to 1990, and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 1996. He was also the Speaker of the National Assembly between 1996 and 1999.
context_section_description: Upon returning to Taiwan in 1961, Chien interned at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for three months and subsequently joined the Ministry in early 1962. Within months, he transferred to the Executive Yuan, as a secretary and the English interpreter for Premier and Vice President Chen Cheng. Chien also served as the English secretary and interpreter for President Chiang Kai-shek from 1965 to 1975. Remembering his experience as an aide to President Chiang Kai-shek, Chien once said: "Sometimes I did oral translation four to five times a day. I was lucky to come into contact with the late President and leaders of many other nations. I was greatly enlightened by listening to their conversations."
  In 1963, Chien was awarded the 1st Annual Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award of the Republic of China along with other figures such as businessman Wu Yao-ting and politician Peng Ming-min.
  Chien was an Executive Officer for the Ministry from 1962 to 1963 and Section Chief of the 1st Section of the Department of North American Affairs from 1964 to March 1967. He served as the Deputy Director-General of the Department from March 1967 to July 1969 and then as Director-General from July 1969 to June 1972. As Director-General in Taipei, he pushed to accelerate congressional liaison work in Washington. He also helped initiated massive invitational programs for senators, members of the House, and Congressional aides to visit Taiwan.
  On August 18, 1969, Chien graduated from the 10th class of the Defense Research Institute.
  In September 1971, Chien attended the Twenty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly as an advisor to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of China to the UN.
  After the US-sponsored "Important Question Variation" Resolution was defeated by a vote of 55-59, on October 25, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758 and recognized the People's Republic of China (PRC) as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations."
  Two months prior to Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China, Chien interpreted for Deputy Premier Chiang Ching-Kuo during a two-hours long conversation with US Ambassador Walter P. McConaughy.
  In March 1972, he met with his counterpart, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Marshall Green, in Taipei and discussed the after-effects of Nixon's visit to the mainland. During their conversation, the two discussed the meaning of the "normalization" of relations with the mainland. Green claimed that the US would maintain diplomatic ties and the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty with the ROC.
  Chien taught at the National Chengchi University as an adjunct associate professor between 1962 and 1964, and as an adjunct professor at National Taiwan University from 1970 to 1972.
caption: Recipeients of the 1st Annual Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award poses with Chiang Ching-kuo in 1963
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