Frank Hsieh Chang-ting (Chinese: 謝長廷; Hanyu Pinyin: Xiè Chángtíng; Tongyong Pinyin: Siè Cháng-tíng; Wade–Giles: Hsieh4 Ch'ang2-t'ing2; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Siā Tiông-têng / Chiā Tiông-têng; Zhuyin Fuhao: ㄒㄧㄝˋ ㄔㄤˊ ㄊㄧㄥˊ; born May 18, 1946) is a Taiwanese politician and former defense attorney who served as Ambassador[1] of Taiwan to Japan from 2016 to 2024.

Born in Dadaocheng, Taipei, in 1946, Hsieh was a gymnast in high school and worked as a food vendor before college.

Hsieh then obtained a master's degree and later completed doctoral coursework (all but dissertation) in jurisprudence at the Graduate School of Law of Kyoto University in Japan.

[6][7] Prior to the 1986 establishment of the Democratic Progressive Party, Hsieh, Chen Shui-bian and Lin Cheng-chieh were known as the "three musketeers" of the tangwai movement.

In 1997, Hsieh successfully negotiated the surrender of the gunman in the Alexander family hostage crisis, raising his national profile.

To the surprise of many observers, Hsieh won the 1998 Kaohsiung City mayoral election, and defeated the Kuomintang incumbent, Wu Den-yih, by 4,565 votes.

[14][15] His administration focused on improving water quality in surrounding rivers as well as a general overhaul of the port of Kaohsiung.

Kuomintang politicians asked Hsieh to step down from the premiership shortly after the Kaohsiung MRT foreign workers scandal broke.

[30] In February 2007, he led the Taiwanese delegation to the 55th annual United States National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., hosted by the U.S. Congressional Committee, with dignitaries including President George W.

[35] A scheduled straw poll was cancelled after his three primary opponents all conceded defeat, and Hsieh was declared the DPP nominee.

[39] Regarding Ma Ying-jeou's idea of a "cross-strait common market," Hsieh states that if Taiwan only focuses on the economy, it will end up like Hong Kong and Macau, whose only goal in life is to make money.

Before the forum, Hsieh attended a dinner hosted by Tung Chee Hwa, former Chief Executive of Hong Kong on Friday evening.

[49] Hsieh said that mutual trust between DPP and Beijing was important and that all of the bilateral exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should benefit the public and address their needs.

He once again reiterated his 'constitutions with different interpretations' view that Taipei and Beijing can coexist if both sides respect each other's constitutional legitimacy.

[50] In March 2016, local media began reporting that Hsieh had accepted a position as Taiwan's representative to Japan in Tsai Ing-wen's administration.