Lee Teng-hui

Lee Teng-hui
李登輝
Official portrait, 2016
4th President of the Republic of China
In office
13 January 1988 – 20 May 2000
Premier
Vice PresidentLee Yuan-tsu
Lien Chan
Preceded byChiang Ching-kuo
Succeeded byChen Shui-bian
5th Vice President of the Republic of China
In office
20 May 1984 – 13 January 1988
PresidentChiang Ching-kuo
Preceded byHsieh Tung-min
Succeeded byLee Yuan-tsu
2nd Chairman of the Kuomintang
In office
27 July 1988 – 24 March 2000
Acting: 13 January 1988 – 27 July 1988
Preceded byChiang Ching-kuo
Succeeded byLien Chan
11th Chairman of Taiwan Provincial Government
In office
5 December 1981 – 20 May 1984
PresidentChiang Ching-kuo
Preceded byLin Yang-kang
Succeeded by
4th Mayor of Taipei
In office
9 June 1978 – 5 December 1981
Preceded byLin Yang-kang
Succeeded byShao En-hsin (邵恩新)
Minister without Portfolio
In office
1 June 1972 – 1 June 1978
PremierChiang Ching-kuo
Personal details
Born(1923-01-15)15 January 1923
Sanzhi, Taihoku Prefecture, Japanese Taiwan
Died30 July 2020(2020-07-30) (aged 97)
Beitou, Taipei, Taiwan
Resting placeWuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery
CitizenshipJapanRepublic of China
NationalityChinese (Taiwan)
Political party
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
(m. 1949)
Children3
Alma mater
OccupationEconomist, statesman
Military service
Allegiance Empire of Japan
Branch/service Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service1944–1945
RankSecond lieutenant
Battles/wars
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese李登輝
Simplified Chinese李登辉
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Dēnghuī
Bopomofoㄌㄧˇ ㄉㄥ ㄏㄨㄟ
Gwoyeu RomatzyhLii Denghuei
Wade–GilesLi3 Têng1-hui1
Tongyong PinyinLǐ Denghuei
MPS2Lǐ Dēng-huēi
IPA[lì tə́ŋ.xwéɪ]
Hakka
RomanizationLí Tên-Fî
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpinglei5 dang1fai1
Southern Min
Hokkien POJLí Teng-hui
Tâi-lôLí Ting-hui
Japanese name
Kanji岩里政男
Kanaいわさと まさお
Transcriptions
RomanizationIwasato Masao

Lee Teng-hui (Chinese: 李登輝; 15 January 1923 – 30 July 2020) was a Taiwanese politician and agriculturist who served as the 4th president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) under the 1947 Constitution and chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) 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.

During his presidency, Lee oversaw the end of martial law and the full democratization of the ROC, advocated the Taiwanese localization movement, and led an ambitious foreign policy agenda to gain allies around the world. Nicknamed "Mr. Democracy", Lee was credited as the president who completed Taiwan's democratic transition.

After leaving office, he remained active in Taiwanese politics. Lee was considered the "spiritual leader" of the pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU),[1] and recruited for the party in the past.[2] After Lee campaigned for TSU candidates in the 2001 Taiwanese legislative election, he was expelled by the KMT.[3] Other activities that Lee engaged in included maintaining relations with former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian and Japan.

  1. ^ Chen, Melody (1 January 2004). "Japan's criticism of referendum has Lee outraged". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  2. ^ Lin, Mei-chun (28 December 2001). "Lee Teng-hui seeks KMT legislators". Taipei Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  3. ^ "KMT breaks it off with Lee Teng-hui - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 22 September 2001. Retrieved 28 September 2023.