Born in Beijing as the second son of a family of four children, he moved to Taiwan with his family in 1946; the family's eldest son remained in mainland China.
bˈɔːɹn ɪn beɪdʒˈɪŋ æz ðə sˈɛkənd sˈʌn əvə fˈæmɪli ʌv fˈoːɹ tʃˈɪldɹən, hiː mˈuːvd tə taɪwˈɑːn wɪð hɪz fˈæmɪli ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi sˈɪks; ðə fˈæmɪliz ˈɛldɪst sˈʌn ɹᵻmˈeɪnd ɪn mˈeɪnlənd tʃˈaɪnə.