Former President of Taiwan Li Yi-hui dies

Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui died former President Cai praises and tributes July 31 5:29

For the first time in Taiwan, the presidential election by direct voting was made possible, and for the sake of democratization, former President Li Teng-hui died at a hospital in Taipei on the 30th. President Tsai Ing-wen expressed his condolences and praised President Lee's achievements in promoting the democratization of Taiwan.

Former President Lee Teng Hui of Taiwan passed away at 8:20 pm on the 30th of Japan time, and died at a hospital in Taipei city where he was hospitalized due to multiple organ failure. I was 97 years old.

In 1988, for the first time as a Taiwanese president, former president Lee promoted democratization of Taiwan by reforming the parliamentary system, and in 1996 realized the first presidential election by direct voting.

Born in Taiwan under the rule of Japan, former president Lee is fluent in Japanese, and after retiring as president in 2000, he frequently visits Japan for cultural exchanges and is known as a pro-Japanese family.

Following the death of former President Lee, Cai Ying-wen expressed his deepest condolences and said, "Former President Lee's contribution to Taiwan's democracy is irreplaceable and his death is a tremendous loss." As a result, he mourned the death of former Prime Minister Lee and praised his achievements.

In addition, President Cai instructed relevant departments to do their best to support the bereaved family, including funerals.

Local TV stations have reported on the special achievements of President Lee's achievements and footsteps, and are in a mood in Taiwan.

Chairman of the Association "Opened up economic development in Taiwan"

Mr. Mitsuo Ohashi, the former top executive of the chemical maker Showa Denko and the contact organization with Japan's Taiwan, “Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association,” said, “As the best leader in the international community, we are passionate about developing Japan-Taiwan relations. We have devoted ourselves to our efforts and have done a great deal of effort, pioneered the democratization and economic development of Taiwan, and led a long and arduous path to becoming a mature society encompassing today's diversity. We would like to extend our deepest respect to our achievements and pray for the peace of our lives."

Expert "End of an era"

Yasuhiro Matsuda, a professor of the University of Tokyo who is familiar with Taiwanese politics about the death of former Prime Minister Lee Teng-hui, said, "There is a sense that the politician who symbolized one big era in Taiwan and East Asia has died and it marked the age" ..

Regarding the achievements of former president Lee, Professor Matsuda said, "It is difficult to think of the democratization of Taiwan without former president Lee, and experience of studying abroad in the United States, research activities in Japanese, and Taiwan's dark and painful times are the only ones. Moreover, if Hong Kong or Macau were to be governed directly by China in the unlikely event of a situation in which Taiwan should respond, what should be done by Taiwan should be left out as legislation and measures. It was excellent. It's a very formidable rivalry for China, and it is thought that one era is over."

Regarding his impressions when he met with former president Lee, he said, "They are all in Japanese, and they talk about their high ideals and what they should actually do to achieve them. It was."

On top of that, Professor Matsuda said, "In Japan, I have a wide network of contacts and I understood the Japanese people's ideas well. The death of former Prime Minister Lee can be said to be the end of an era in the relationship between Japan and Taiwan. It's shallow, and it has a lot to do with the generation of former Prime Minister Lee who knows Japan well. In the future, the Japanese must learn about Taiwan as an equal relationship with each other.”