ASIA Fact file - Asian political leaders

Business Asia, August 17, 1998

Business Asia introduces a new column to give you useful facts about Asia. To mark the spate of political changes in the region in the past year, we list Asia's current leaders.

CHINA

Jiang Zemin

- President of China since March, 1993.

- Chairman of China's Central Military Commission since 1990.

HONG KONG

Tung Chee Hwa

- Chief Executive of Hong Kong since July, 1997.

- Chairman of Orient Overseas International Limited, 1979-1997.

INDIA

Atal Behari Vajpayee

- Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs of India since March, 1998.

- Member of parliament since 1959.

INDONESIA

Bacharuddin Habibie

- President of Indonesia since May, 1998.

- Minister for Research and Technology 1978-1998.

JAPAN

Keizo Obuchi

- Prime Minister of Japan since July, 1998.

- Representative for the House of Representatives since 1963.

SOUTH KOREA

Kim Dae Jung

- President of South Korea since February, 1998.

- Former dissident.

MALAYSIA

Dr Mahathir Mohamad

- Prime Minister of Malaysia since July, 1981.

- President of the United Malays National Organisation since 1981.

PHILIPPINES

Joseph Estrada

- President of the Philippines since May, 1998.

- Former movie star, and Mayor of San Juan from 1969-1986.

SINGAPORE

Goh Chok Tong

- Prime Minister of Singapore since November, 1990.

- First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence 1985-1990.

TAIWAN

Lee Teng Hui

- President of Taiwan since 1988.

- Vice President 1984-1988.

THAILAND

Chuan Leekpai

- Prime Minister of Thailand since November, 1997.

- Leader of the Opposition of the National Assembly, 1995-1996.

VIETNAM

Phan Van Khai

- Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam since 1997.

- Previously Deputy Prime Minister. Re-elected to Politburo in 1996.