Weng Hsiao-ling

Weng Hsiao-ling (Chinese: 翁曉玲; born 18 January 1969) is a Taiwanese legal scholar and politician. She served on the National Communications Commission from 2008 to 2012, and was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 2024.

Weng Hsiao-ling MLY
翁曉玲
Member of the Legislative Yuan
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 February 2024
Constituency	Party-list
National Communications Commissioner
In office 1 August 2008 – 31 July 2012
Personal details
Born	(1969-01-18) 18 January 1969 (age 56) Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Political party	Kuomintang
Education	National Chung Hsing University (LLB) University of Munich (LLM, SJD)

Background

Weng Hsiao-ling's grandad, Weng Chung-tzu(翁鐘賜), was born during the Japanese rule of Nationalist china into a prominent local family in Tainan. He graduated from Keio University in Japan with a degree in economics. During his studies in Japan, he joined the Tokyo Taiwanese Youth Association and supported the activities of the Taiwanese Cultural Association. Due to the Great Depression, he moved to Indonesia, where he married a local woman and had three sons, including Weng Hsiao-ling’s father. With the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Weng family returned to Taiwan.^[1]

After World War II, Taiwan came under the administration of the Republic of China. Weng Hsiao-ling’s father, Weng Chi-hsiung(翁啟雄), becoming an officer in the Republic of China Army. He later served as an instructor at the Military Academy and the Chung Cheng Institute of Technology, and also held the position of president of the National Chin-Yi University of Technology. Weng’s mother was a secondary school teacher retreat from Mainland during Civil War.^[2][3]

Education and early academic career

Weng earned a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from National Chung Hsing University (now part of National Taipei University), then completed doctoral studies in Germany, where she merited a Master of Laws (LL.M.) and a Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) from the University of Munich. Upon her return to Taiwan, Weng taught at National Defense University, her alma mater, NCHU, and National Tsing Hua University.^[4]

Political career

National Communications Commission

Weng was one of six newcomers nominated to serve on the National Communications Commission in July 2008,^[5] after the term of the previous commission had all over in January of that same year.^[6] At the time of her nomination to the NCC, Weng was a political independent.^[7] All nominees, including Weng, were approved by the Legislative Yuan's joint committee on education, culture, and transportation,^[8] and met with journalists for the first time the following month.^[9] In February 2009, Weng attended a hearing convened to discuss amendments to the Satellite Radio and Television Act.^[10] The following year, Weng commented on government investment in Taiwanese media,^[11] discussed amendments to the Broadcasting and Television Act,^[12] clarified aspects of NCC decisions,^[13] and opposed a proposal allowing the Executive Yuan to select the NCC chair and vice chair.^[14]

Weng was not renominated to her NCC post.^[15][16] In 2012, her final year in office, Weng, Chen Jeng-chang, and Chung Chi-hui withdrew from a case involving Want Want and China Network Systems [zh].^[17] Three years previously, as Want Want acquired the China Times, China Television, and Chung T'ien Television, images of Weng, Cheng, and Chung had been published on the China Times front page in the manner of wanted posters.^[18] The merger between Want Want and China Network Systems was approved in late July 2008, with days left in Weng's NCC term.^[19][20] During her final month on the National Communications Commission, television shopping network U-Life filed a lawsuit against Weng, alleging that she had favored the Eastern Home and Leisure Company in an application filed by the Kbro Company.^[21]

Legislative Yuan

After her NCC tenure ended, Weng returned to her associate professorship in law at National Tsing Hua University.^[22] She did not return to politics until the 2024 legislative election, when she was ranked fourth on the Kuomintang party list for proportional representation and elected to the 11th Legislative Yuan.^[23][24]

Weng proposed amendments to the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power and the Criminal Code, criminalizing the contempt of the legislature.^[25]

In June 2024, she accused President Lai Ching-te of treason and criticized defense minister Wellington Koo for failing to maintain maps that showed Mongolia as part of the Republic of China.

Weng then presented a 1912 map of the Republic of China, which included Mongolia, Tannu Uriankhai, Vladivostok, Tibet, Nine-dash line and the Kuril Islands, and asked, "Why don't you restore the policy to "retake Mainland China by force" (反攻大陸)? Or is it that none of us, the citizens of the Republic of China, should take that stance? Is this just your personal opinion? The mainland is part of the territory of the Republic of China." Weng further inquired about President Lai Ching-te's statement that "the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other," questioning if it implied recognition of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Koo responded by affirming that the PRC "is an existing fact, and there is no doubt about it." Weng then retorted, stating, "We don't care how the other countries recognize it by acknowledging the People's Republic of China (PRC). The territorial reserve scope of the PRC includes Taiwan. Being the president of the Republic of China (ROC), such statements of Lai Ching-te diminish Taiwan's status, abandon the ROC's territorial integrity, and provide the PRC a justified reason to 'recover' Taiwan. President Lai is thus seen as a traitor to the Republic of China, hence acknowledging the PRC constitutes a significant harm to the Republic of China."^{[26][27][28][29]}

In July 2024, Weng once once again reiterated this viewpoint, stating that the territory of the Republic of China should extend "west to the Pamir Plateau, east to Heilongjiang, north to the Sayan Range, and south to Zengmu Ansha." She further demanded that the Minister of National Defense prepare for a "counteroffensive against the mainland."In response, the Taiwan Statebuilding Party stated, "It seems that Weng has traveled through time from 1949, which clearly shows that the Kuomintang must be eliminated."^[30]

After Taiwanese badminton players Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin won the men's doubles gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics against Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang of China, Weng posted to WeChat, that the Lee–Wang victory was the "pride of Chinese people." When asked about her post, Weng elaborated, "We are Chinese... No matter who wins, Team Taiwan or the team from mainland China, it is still the pride of all Chinese people. I see nothing wrong in my statement."^[31]

On August 8, 2024, Weng admitted in an interview with Wang Qianqiu on CNR News that she considers herself Chinese, referring to the Republic of China (Taiwan) as "China" and does not recognize the authority of the mainland government.^[32]

Personal life

Weng's husband is the judge Chen Chun-sheng [zh].^[33]