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Taiwanese politician
Enoch Wu
吳怡農
Chairperson of the Taipei chapter of the Democratic Progressive Party
In office
9 February 2021 – 6 June 2022
Preceded byChen Cheng-teh
Succeeded byChang Mao-nan
Personal details
Born (1980-12-31) 31 December 1980 (age 43)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
NationalityTaiwanese
Political partyDemocratic Progressive Party
Spouse Yen Tsai-wei ​(m. 2022)​
EducationYale University (BA)

Enoch Wu (Chinese: 吳怡農; pinyin: Wú Yínóng; born 31 December 1980) is a Taiwanese politician and businessman. Wu is the founder of Forward Alliance, a Taiwanese NGO focusing on national security.

After graduating from Yale University, Wu worked at Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong. In 2013, he left the finance industry to pursue public service in Taiwan. He served in the Taiwanese Army's Special Forces Command from 2014 to 2015. Following his national service, Wu joined Premier Lin Chuan's office to lead an interagency task force on Taiwan's security policies and served on the staff of Taiwan's National Security Council.

Wu ran for a legislative seat in Taipei's 3rd District in the 2020 general election, narrowly losing to the Kuomintang (KMT) incumbent Wayne Chiang. From February 2021 to June 2022, he served as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)'s Taipei Chapter Chair.

Early life and education

Wu was born on December 31, 1980, in Chicago, Illinois, while his father pursued a PhD in political science at the University of Chicago. His parents, Lin Huei-ying (林惠英) and Wu Nai-teh [zh] met in university. Wu's father was a researcher at Academia Sinica, the preeminent academic institution in Taiwan, where he focused on political identity and transitional justice. His mother had a career in advertising and now dedicates her time to an educational nonprofit.

Returning to Taiwan at age 6 after his father completed his PhD, Wu attended elementary and middle school in Taipei. In 1995, he moved to the United States for high school. Wu studied at high schools in Illinois and Michigan before enrolling in Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

Wu obtained his bachelor's degree in economics from Yale University in 2003. While in college, he co-founded the Yale chapter of America Counts, a U.S. Department of Education initiative.

Family and personal life

Wu was heavily influenced by his family and family friends' involvement in Taiwan's democratic movement. While in graduate school, his father Wu Nai-teh was an editor for dissident magazines, including Formosa Magazine and The Movement Magazine [zh], advocating for democratic reforms while Taiwan was under martial law. After obtaining his PhD and returning to Taiwan, Wu Nai-teh was refused employment for two years at Academia Sinica, the premier research academy, on the grounds of harboring "Taiwanese independence and subversive tendencies" despite unanimous faculty approval.

Civic engagement was a significant part of his upbringing. At just nine years old, Wu began joining his family in protests and citizen movements. In middle school, Wu collected signatures for a nuclear power plant referendum.

On December 5, 2022, Wu announced that he had married his girlfriend in October.

Career before politics

After graduating from Yale College in 2003, Wu worked at Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong, primarily for the Special Situations Group, focusing on investment opportunities in Asia. In 2013, Wu left Goldman Sachs to pursue public service in Taiwan.

He served with the Taiwanese Army's Special Forces Command from 2014 to 2015. Upon completing his national service as a corporal, he worked as a freelance journalist covering defense.

Political activities

Government service

In 2017, Wu joined the office of Premier Lin Chuan, where he led an interagency task force to review Taiwan's protective security policies for government affairs. From 2017 to 2019, Wu served on the staff of Taiwan's National Security Council, where his portfolio included homeland security and critical infrastructure protection.

2020 legislative campaign

In the 2020 Taiwanese legislative election, Wu represented the DPP in Taipei's 3rd district against Kuomintang incumbent Chiang Wan-an.

He ran on a national security platform, calling for reforms to national service, greater investment in military education, and accountability in defense spending. Wu also advocated for the lowering of the voting age from 20 to 18.

Wu received 99,539 votes and lost the election, 45.50% to Chiang's 51.44%, nearly upsetting the incumbent in a traditionally KMT district.

2023 legislative campaign

Following Chiang's election as mayor of Taipei, a by-election was scheduled, and Wu was named the DPP candidate for Taipei's 3rd district a second time, Taipei City Councilor Wang Hung-wei ran for the open seat as the KMT candidate. On January 8, 2023, Wu received 54,739 votes and lost the election.

Democratic Progressive Party

From 2020 to 2021, he served as Deputy Director of the New Frontier Foundation [zh], a think tank affiliated with the DPP. From February 2021 to June 2022, Wu served as the Chairperson of the DPP's Taipei Chapter.

Positions

Wu believes that national service must be reformed into a whole-of-society effort. An outspoken advocate for civil defense, he believes that it requires all genders serving across all functions.

Cautioning against over-reliance on authoritarian regimes, he also promotes economic diversification and emphasizes the necessity of a collective effort by all democratic countries to counter China. Wu advocates for the creation of a regional security bloc.

Beyond security issues, Wu supports the Hong Kong democratic movement, LGBTQ+ rights, energy security, and tax reforms.

Forward Alliance

Main article: Forward Alliance
Enoch Wu teaches a child to place a tourniquet on his father at a Forward Alliance workshop

In 2020, Wu founded Forward Alliance with the goal of improving Taiwan's national security through greater public awareness, policy advocacy, and civic participation.

Time 100 Next

Recognizing his work with Forward Alliance, Time Magazine selected Enoch Wu for the 2022 Time 100 Next. Time commended, "Enoch Wu wants to give every Taiwan citizen the know-how to protect their community. As the threat level rises from Beijing…. Wu is providing civilians emergency-response training for both natural and man-made disasters." Wu extended the honor to Forward Alliance partners, including volunteers, first responders, and NGOs.

References

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External links

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