“Taiwan is a country with independent sovereignty.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #quote

Figure timeline
Lee Teng-hui was a Taiwanese politician, economist, and agronomist who served as the fourth president of the Republic of China and chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He was the first president to be born in Taiwan, the last to be indirectly elected, and the first to be directly elected.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
politics · President of the Republic of China from 1988 to 2000 · agricultural economist · politician · also Lee Teng-hui, Li Denghui, Masao Iwasato, Teng-hui
Born 15 January 1923 · Died 30 July 2020 · Q315528
48 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
14 photos
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
“Taiwan is a country with independent sovereignty.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Public attention spiked: 4,151 Wikipedia readers in one day, 14.6× the usual 284, with 1 article edits. Editors noted: script-assisted date audit and style fixes per MOS:NUM
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Diplomat: Lee Teng-hui’s Memorial Service Provides Catalyst for Diplomatic Outreach to Taiwan
Yahoo: Taiwanese pay respects to former President Lee Teng-hui
Wall Street Journal: Lee Teng-hui, Who Guided Taiwan on Its Path to Democracy, Dies at 97
Yahoo: Lee Teng-hui, former president of Taiwan, dies at 97
Died 2020-07-30.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
At an interview in Japan, Lee remarked that during the Japanese colonial period, Taiwan and Japan constituted 'one country,' and that he and his brother enlisted because they once regarded Japan as their 'motherland
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Lee said "The issue of Taiwanese comfort women is already solved" in the Japanese magazine Voice (published by PHP Institute)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Kuomintang legislators as well as then-incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou accused Lee of treason, branding him as a hanjian
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The issue of Taiwanese comfort women is already solved”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Lee said in the Japanese magazine SAPIO published by Shogakukan, "China spreads lies such as Nanjing Massacre to the world
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The Senkaku Islands, no matter whether in the past, for now or in the future, certainly belong to Japan.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
China Digital Times: lee teng-hui
“China spreads lies such as Nanjing Massacre to the world ... Korea and China use invented history as their activity of propaganda for their country. Comfort women is the most remarkable example.”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Lee recalled the reason for joining communist groups as being "out of a young man's naive vision for his country"
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“s controversial visit to Yasukuni Shrine,”
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Presided over the adoption of the Taiwan-centric history textbook Knowing Taiwan
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Huang Kuang-kuo, a psychology professor at National Taiwan University, published A Theory of Populism Leading to Taiwan’s Demise (民粹亡臺論), in which he argued that the political climate under Lee Teng-hui was characterized
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The United States sent two aircraft carrier groups to Taiwan's vicinity and the PRC then de-escalated
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Lee had persuaded Lin and his running mate Chiang Wei-kuo to withdraw from the presidential race, allegedly promising not to seek re-election in 1996
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Was replaced by Lee Huan, who was succeeded by Hau Pei-tsun in 1990
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Received the highest distinction of the Scout Association of Japan, the Golden Pheasant Award
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career landmark: President of the Republic of China (1988–2000).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career landmark: Chairperson of the Kuomintang (1988–2000).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career landmark: Vice President of the Republic of China (1984–1988).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career landmark: Chairperson of Taiwan Provincial Government (1981–1984).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Became governor of Taiwan Province and made further irrigation improvements
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
And became governor of Taiwan Province in 1981 under President Chiang Ching-kuo
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career landmark: Mayor of Taipei (1978–1981).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Was arrested by KMT secret police but was released after a series of investigations and interrogations
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Beginning a career as an economics professor
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Studied at Cornell University, Doctor of Philosophy (1965–1968).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Rockefeller Foundation awarded Lee a scholarship to pursue doctoral studies at Cornell University; he departed Taiwan for the U
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Lee began a career as an economist, senior specialist, and consultant on the Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction (JCRR), a U
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
As a research fellow at the Taiwan Cooperative Bank
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Studied at Iowa State University, master's degree (1952–1953).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Studied at National Taiwan University, bachelor's degree (1946–1949).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
That suspended the democratic functions of the government
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Were forced to resign and new elections were held to apportion more seats to the benshengren
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Studied at Kyoto University (1943–1946).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Studied at Taihoku Higher School (1941–1943).
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Completing his courses in four years as opposed to the usual five
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Enrolled in the private Kuo-min Middle School (now Datong High School) in Taipei in 1938
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Japanese colonial government reformed educational institutions in accordance with wartime demands of "Shintoism, state (kokutai), and indoctrination"
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
While attending the Hsi-chih Common School, where most teachers were Japanese, he was selected as the class leader (head boy) and was considered one of the most outstanding students out of 47 pupils
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
To send students for specialized studies at a college or university
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born 1923-01-15.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Connections