{{Short description|Taiwanese politician (1937–2026)}} {{redirect|Chen Fei-lung|the snooker player|Chen Feilong}} {{family name hatnote|Chen (陳)|lang=Chinese}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Alfred Chen | native_name = {{nobold|陳飛龍}} | native_name_lang = zh-tw | honorific_suffix = MLY | image = 陳飛龍委員AlfredFLChen.jpg | image_size = | caption = Chen as a member of the Fifth Legislative Yuan | order1 = Member of the Legislative Yuan | term_start1 = 14 September 2004 | term_end1 = 31 January 2005 | predecessor1 = Liu Sung-pan | successor1 = | constituency1 = Republic of China (People First Party list) | birth_date = {{birth date|1937|10|2|df=y}} | birth_place = British Hong Kong | death_date = {{death date and age|2026|2|12|1937|10|2|df=y}} | death_place = | party = People First Party (since 2001) | other_party = Kuomintang (until 2001) | alma_mater = | profession = Business executive | education = Tamkang University (BA)<br />University of San Francisco (MPA) }}
'''Alfred Chen''' or '''Chen Fei-lung''' {{lang-zh|t=陳飛龍}}; 2 October 1937 – 12 February 2026) was a Taiwanese business executive and politician.
==Education== Chen was born on 2 October 1937 in Hong Kong and raised in Shanghai until he completed sixth grade.<ref>{{cite news |title=南僑陳飛龍辭世，享耆壽90歲⋯水晶肥皂起家、杜老爺點水樓都他創的！曾說經營的不是製造業，而是服務業 |url=https://www.businesstoday.com.tw/article/category/183027/post/202602210012/ |access-date=22 February 2026 |work=Business Today |date=21 February 2026 |language=zh}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=李 |first1=宣萱 |title=傳奇人生落幕！南僑會長陳飛龍90歲辭世 |url=https://newtalk.tw/news/view/2026-02-22/1020850 |access-date=22 February 2026 |work=Newtalk |date=22 February 2026}}</ref> He graduated from Tamkang University with a bachelor's degree in foreign languages before attending the University of San Francisco in the United States, where he earned a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree.<ref name="ly5">{{cite news |title=Alfred F. L. Chen (5) |url=https://www.ly.gov.tw/EngPages/List.aspx?nodeid=11573 |access-date=31 August 2021 |agency=Legislative Yuan}}</ref>
==Business career== {{ill|Namchow Group|zh|南僑集團}} was established in 1952 as a chemical manufacturing company specializing in soapmaking.<ref name="franchise">{{cite news |title=Namchow to enter franchise market |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2008/05/19/2003412327 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=19 May 2008}}</ref> After Namchow founder {{ill|Chen Rong-gong|zh|陳榮恭}} died in 1974, his eldest son Alfred Chen assumed the office of Board Director. Namchow embarked on diversification by the help of external forces in one way. It set up joint ventures with world-renowned companies in US such as Pond’s, P&G, Kellogg’s,<ref name="ruslin"/> Häagen-Dazs, Nabisco (feminine cosmetic, hygiene, baby care, nutri-grain, ice cream products, biscuits, etc.), Singapore (biscuits), Japan (feminine hygiene products), Hongkong (ice cream), etc. The process of internationalization reached its prime time in 1980-90’s in Taiwan pioneering strategic alliances with world business leaders (mostly defunct now). In another way, Namchow has built up inner forces by expanding its manufacturing sector in food business, producing margarine & shortening, frozen dough, frozen noodles, aseptic cooked rice, etc., which make up 95% of its annual revenue for now.
Under Alfred Chen's leadership, in 1990, Namchow opened its first factory overseas in Thailand,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gibson |first1=Liam |title=Bountiful South: Localize or go home |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2018/04/24/2003691883 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=24 April 2018}}</ref> which now exports to some 80 countries in the world. In 1995, Namchow launched its investment in mainland China, and has gradually become a leading name in the baking industry in China.
In 2003, Namchow opened its first Dian Shui Lou restaurant specializing in {{ill|Jiangzhe cuisine|zh|江浙菜}}, which later became a chain restaurant.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Ho Yi |title=Restaurant review: Dian Shui Lou 點水樓 |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2011/09/09/2003512810 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=9 September 2011}}</ref> In 2004, Namchow opened a Russian restaurant in Taipei.<ref name="ruslin">{{cite news |last1=Lin |first1=Jackie |title=Namchow opens Russian restaurant |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2004/11/16/2003211316 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=16 November 2004}}</ref> In 2008, the company announced plans to produce food and beverages for a wide range of franchise businesses.<ref name="franchise" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hsu |first1=Crystal |title=Namchow mulls plans to auction off Taipei plots |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2011/03/17/2003498353 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=17 March 2011}}</ref>
During the eruption of a series of 2014 Taiwan food scandals, Chen urged the government to bring the nation's food safety standards in line with international norms.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Su |first1=Amy |title=Namchow chair criticizes food safety |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2014/10/13/2003601915 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=13 October 2014}}</ref> Meanwhile Government agencies discovered that documentation Namchow submitted for customs review had labeled batches of its imported oil as industrial cooking oil.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hsu |first1=Stacy |last2=Su |first2=Amy |title=Ministry, bureau to check reports from Namchow |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/10/16/2003602180 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times}}</ref> The clerical mistake on the forms was fined by<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hsu |first1=Stacy |last2=Su |first2=Amy |title=FOOD SCANDAL: Incorrect permits no 'mistake': ministry |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/10/17/2003602279 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=17 October 2014}}</ref> the Taipei City Government's Department of Health from an initial NT$30 million to the final ruling of NT$4.05 million.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gerber |first1=Abraham |last2=Su |first2=Amy |title=Namchow fined NT$30m over oil |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/10/17/2003602264 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=17 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Su |first1=Amy |title=FamilyMart stops serving Namchow's soft ice cream |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2014/10/16/2003602155 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=16 October 2014}}</ref> Namchow products were briskly pulled from shelves, until an investigation concluded that the company met safety standards.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ministry of Health censured over last year's oil scandal |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/11/07/2003631912 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=7 November 2015}}</ref>
(Note: The Australian Government Department of Agriculture (the Department) had investigated into this matter and confirmed that the products exported meet the requirements of the certificate agreed on 13 August 2014 with Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration for unrefined edible tallow (Declaration and Certificate for Shipments of Tallow for Further Processing). The Department can further advice the reference to "Industry Use" in the Certificate of Australian Origin issued by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry may have been included in error and the goods were not unsuitable for use in food.<ref>https://www.newsmarket.com.tw/blog/59194/</ref> The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (“TFDA”) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare received official certificates from Australia and the Philippines confirming that 30 batches of butter, coconut oil and palm kernel oil imported from Namchow can be "refined into edible oil".<ref>https://www.setn.com/news.aspx?newsid=44499</ref><ref>https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/breakingnews/1562126</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Namchow to launch China IPO |url=http://taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2018/03/12/2003689105 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=12 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Namchow ahead of schedule |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2018/05/31/2003694012 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=31 May 2018}}</ref>)
Alfred Chen was active in the area of public welfare. Starting 1992, he served on board with the Red Cross Society of Taiwan as Convenor of the Standing Supervisory Committee, among others. In 2009 Chen was bestowed by the Taiwan Government as one of the most influential figures in public welfare in the private sector. In 2018 he was elected Chairman of the Industrial Relation Research Institute (Taiwan), a think-tank focusing on labor and management relations.
Dedicating himself to the food industry, Chen was elected as Executive Director of the Food Industry Research and Development Institute (Taiwan) in 2021. Many of his endeavors have been widely recognized such as creating record sales by purchasing fruits at market price during farm surplus seasons, to make both rescue and business ends meet. He was also nicknamed “Ambassador” for promoting local farm and fishery products as culinary delights.
In May 2021, Namchow Food Group (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. successfully launched an initial public offering (IPO) at the Shanghai Stock Exchange, as the first food company listed both in Taiwan and Shanghai.<ref>{{cite news |title=未來誰接班？南僑加速全球化布局 陳飛龍生前已規劃第三代架構 |url=https://udn.com/news/story/7241/9336847 |access-date=22 February 2026 |work=United Daily News |date=21 February 2026 |language=zh |quote=上海南僑2021年在大陸A股掛牌，背後推手就是陳正文。上海南僑經營的產品涵蓋烘焙油脂、餡料、冷凍麵團和進口品，當地龍頭廠都是主力客戶，已是中國烘焙油脂的領導品牌。}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=黃 |first1=瑛琦 |title=南僑會長陳飛龍享壽90歲：從水晶肥皂到點水樓 以四變哲學打造跨國食品帝國 |url=https://www.peoplenews.tw/articles/hot-news/17858 |access-date=22 February 2026 |date=21 February 2026 |language=zh |quote=2017年陳飛龍推動南僑化工，轉型為「南僑投資控股」，並於2021年促成子公司「上海南僑」在上海A股掛牌上市，成為台灣首家在A股上市的食品企業，為集團資本運作與版圖擴張建立關鍵轉捩點。}}</ref>
==Political career== Alfred Chen accepted a nomination from the People First Party, and was placed on its party list for the 2001 legislative elections. His membership of the Kuomintang<ref>{{cite news |last1=Low |first1=Stephanie |title=KMT kicks out seven, punishes four members |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2001/10/13/0000106884 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=13 October 2001}}</ref> was revoked as a result. In 2004 he was appointed to replace the at-large Speaker of the Legislative Yuan,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yiu |first1=Cody |title=Corrupt PFP veteran sentenced to jail |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/09/08/2003202047 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=8 September 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wu |first1=Debby |title=Liu Sung-fan withdraws PFP membership |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/09/09/2003202188 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=9 September 2004}}</ref> and took office as a legislator<ref name="ly5"/> through 31 January 2005.
==Death== Chen died on 12 February 2026, at the age of 88.<ref>{{cite news |title=Taiwan food entrepreneur Alfred Chen passes away at 88 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6306328 |access-date=21 February 2026 |publisher=Taiwan News |date=21 February 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Alfred}} Category:1937 births Category:2026 deaths Category:Taiwanese chairpersons of corporations Category:Tamkang University alumni Category:University of San Francisco alumni Category:Members of the 5th Legislative Yuan Category:20th-century Taiwanese businesspeople Category:21st-century Taiwanese businesspeople Category:Party List Members of the Legislative Yuan Category:People First Party Members of the Legislative Yuan Category:Refugees of the Chinese Civil War Category:Kuomintang politicians in Taiwan Category:Expelled members of the Kuomintang