Kao Chin Su-mei
MLY
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
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高金素梅
Ciwas Ali
Traditional Chinese吉娃斯·阿麗
Simplified Chinese吉娃斯·阿丽

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

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

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

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

Films

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

Television

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

Electoral history

No. Candidate Party Votes Ratio Elected
2001 (5th)
1Kao Chin Su-meiIndependent8,90910.42%Yes
2Lee Wen-lai (李文來) People First Party8,2599.66%
3Ho Hsin-chun (何信軍) Kuomintang8,5309.97%
4Yu Meng-tyieh (余夢蝶) Democratic Progressive Party5,1326.00%
5Yisao Ludao (伊掃·魯刀)Independent7900.92%
6Chuan Wen-sheng Kuomintang6,3187.39%
7Walis PerinTaiwan Number One Party9,19410.75%Yes
8Kao Yang-sheng Kuomintang7,1048.31%
9Lin Wen-sheng (林文生) Taiwan Solidarity Union4,0924.78%
10Lin Chun-te People First Party8,64710.11%Yes
11Payen Talu Democratic Progressive Party4,5675.34%
12Tseng Hua-te (曾華德) Kuomintang13,98216.35%Yes
2004 (6th)
1Walis Perin Non-Partisan Solidarity Union 9,41511.54%
2Tseng Hua-te Kuomintang13,53616.59%Yes
3Lee Hsiu-chin (李秀琴)Independent2160.26%
4Wu Hsin-kuo (伍新國)Independent3,1453.85%
5Kao Chin Su-meiIndependent16,28419.96%Yes
6Chen Tao-ming Democratic Progressive Party5,7857.09%
7Kung Wen-chi (孔文吉) Kuomintang17,30721.21%Yes
8Lin Wen-sheng Taiwan Solidarity Union3,7194.56%
9Lin Chun-te People First Party12,17914.93%Yes
2008 (7th)
1Syue Yi-jhen (薛宜蓁)Civil Party4430.53%
2Kung Wen-chi Kuomintang22,39126.54%Yes
3Chien Tung-ming Kuomintang22,65926.86%Yes
4Hou Jin-jhu (侯金助) Democratic Progressive Party4,4205.24%
5Kao Chin Su-mei Non-Partisan Solidarity Union 20,01223.72%Yes
6Lin Chun-te People First Party14,26516.91%
7Sung Jen-ho (宋仁和) Taiwan Constitution Association1680.20%
2012 (8th)
1Tseng Chih-yung (曾智勇) Democratic Progressive Party9,9688.54%
2Kao Chin Su-mei Non-Partisan Solidarity Union 29,52025.29%Yes
3Chiu Wen-sheng (邱文生)Independent1,4811.26%
4Kung Wen-chi Kuomintang31,62927.10%Yes
5Walis Perin People First Party15,53313.30%
6Chien Tung-ming Kuomintang28,58124.48%Yes
2016 (9th)
1Lin Shih-wei (林世偉)Independent2,2471.99%
2Yumin Suyang (尤命·蘇樣)China Production Party5680.50%
3Tseng Hua-teIndependent5,3264.71%
4Walis Perin Democratic Progressive Party16,65814.75%
5Yilan Mingjinuan (伊藍·明基努安)Faith and Hope League7,7506.86%
6Kung Wen-chi Kuomintang20,10517.80%Yes
7Chien Tung-ming Kuomintang25,94022.96%Yes
8Chuan Cheng-wei (全承威)Taiwan Independence Party4960.44%
9Lin Hsin-yi (林信義)Faith and Hope League6,1855.48%
10Kao Chin Su-mei Non-Partisan Solidarity Union 27,69024.51%Yes

References

  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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