Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui (1923–2020) was a Taiwanese agricultural economist and politician who served as president of the Republic of China from 1988 to 2000.
Lee Teng-hui (1923–2020) was a Taiwanese agricultural economist and politician who served as president of the Republic of China from 1988 to 2000. He was the first Taiwan-born president of the Republic of China and the first to be elected by direct popular vote in Taiwan.
Early life and education
Lee Teng-hui was born in 1923 in Sanzhi, in what is now New Taipei City, and came from a Hokkien-Hakka background. He studied at National Taiwan University and Cornell University, where he specialised in agricultural economics.
Political career
Lee entered high-level politics in the 1970s and held posts including minister without portfolio, mayor of Taipei, governor of Taiwan Province, and vice president. He became president in 1988 after the death of Chiang Ching-kuo.
Presidency
During his presidency, Taiwan underwent major political reform, including constitutional revisions and movement toward direct presidential elections. He was elected in the first direct presidential election in 1996 and remained in office until 2000.
Later life and legacy
After leaving office, Lee remained influential in Taiwanese politics and became associated with pro-Taiwan positions. He died in Taipei in 2020 and is widely remembered for his role in Taiwan's democratisation.
Key facts
- Lee Teng-hui studied agricultural economics and later taught and worked in public service before entering top-level politics.
- He became vice president before succeeding Chiang Ching-kuo as president in 1988.
- He was the first president of the Republic of China born in Taiwan.
- He won Taiwan's first direct presidential election in 1996.
- His presidency is associated with political liberalisation and constitutional reform in Taiwan.
Frequently asked questions
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References
- Chinese Wikipedia — https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E6%9D%8E%E7%99%BB%E8%BC%9DSupports: Birth and death dates, education, career, offices held, and background.
- Chinese Wikipedia — https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E7%99%BB%E8%BC%9DSupports: Birth and death dates, education, career, offices held, and background.
- Wu Wikipedia — https://wuu.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%8E%E7%99%BB%E8%BE%89Supports: First Taiwan-born head of state and first directly elected president.
- Deutsche Welle — https://www.dw.com/zh/%E6%94%B9%E5%86%99%E5%8F%B0%E6%B9%BE%E5%8E%86%E5%8F%B2%E7%9A%84%E6%9D%8E%E7%99%BB%E8%BE%89/g-54366256Supports: Death, age, democratization, constitutional reform, and direct elections.
- BBC News Chinese — https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/chinese-news-53577869Supports: Presidency timeline, democratization, first direct presidential election, and political legacy.
- Taiwan Panorama — https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/Articles/Details?Guid=ba7f26f1-8430-45a0-8dc6-ebd661ff0abe&CatId=11&postname=%E5%AD%B8%E8%80%85%E7%B8%BD%E7%B5%B1%E2%80%94%E2%80%94%E6%9D%8E%E7%99%BB%E8%BC%9D%E5%85%88%E7%94%9FSupports: Education, academic background, and early public service roles.