Lee Teng-hui

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{{Conservatism in Taiwan|Politicians}}

{{Conservatism in Taiwan|Politicians}}

'''Lee Teng-hui''' ({{zh|t=李登輝}}; [[pinyin]]: ''Lǐ Dēnghuī''; 15 January 1923{{spnd}}30 July 2020) was a Taiwanese politician and [[agricultural scientist]] who served as the fourth [[president of the Republic of China|president]] of the [[Taiwan|Republic of China]] (Taiwan) under [[Constitution of the Republic of China|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 [[1990 Taiwanese presidential election|indirectly elected]] and the first to be [[1996 Taiwanese presidential election|directly elected]].

'''Lee Teng-hui''' ({{zh|t=李登輝}}; [[pinyin]]: ''Lǐ Dēnghuī''; 15 January 1923{{spnd}}30 July 2020) was a Taiwanese politician, economist, and [[agronomist]] who served as the fourth [[president of the Republic of China|president]] of the [[Taiwan|Republic of China]] (Taiwan) under [[Constitution of the Republic of China|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 [[1990 Taiwanese presidential election|indirectly elected]], and the first to be [[1996 Taiwanese presidential election|directly elected]].

Before entering politics, Lee was an agricultural scientist who earned a master's degree from [[Iowa State University]] and a [[PhD]] from [[Cornell University]] in the United States. During his presidency, Lee oversaw the end of [[Martial law in Taiwan|martial law]] and the full [[History of Taiwan (1945–present)|democratization of the ROC]], advocated the [[Taiwanese localization movement]], and initiated foreign policy agenda to gain allies all over the world. Lee was credited as the president who completed Taiwan's democratic transition.

Born in [[Taihoku Prefecture]], Lee was raised under [[Japanese rule of Taiwan|Japanese rule]]. He graduated from [[Kyoto Imperial University]], [[National Taiwan University]], and studied [[agricultural economics]] in the United States, where he earned his doctorate from [[Cornell University]] in 1968. As a member of the [[Kuomintang]] (KMT), he was appointed [[Mayor of Taipei]] in 1978, then became governor of [[Taiwan Province]] in 1981 under President [[Chiang Ching-kuo]]. Lee succeeded Chiang as president after Chiang's death in 1988.

After leaving office, he remained active in [[Politics of the Republic of China|Taiwanese politics]]. Lee was considered the "spiritual leader" of the pro-independence [[Taiwan Solidarity Union]] (TSU),<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chen|first1=Melody|title=Japan's criticism of referendum has Lee outraged|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/01/01/2003085914|access-date=30 September 2014|newspaper=Taipei Times|date=1 January 2004|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006074643/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/01/01/2003085914|url-status=live}}</ref> and recruited for the party in the past.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lin|first1=Mei-chun|title=Lee Teng-hui seeks KMT legislators|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2001/12/28/0000117627|access-date=30 September 2014|newspaper=Taipei Times|date=28 December 2001|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006102950/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2001/12/28/0000117627|url-status=live}}</ref> After Lee campaigned for TSU candidates in the [[2001 Taiwanese legislative election]], he was expelled by the KMT.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-09-22 |title=KMT breaks it off with Lee Teng-hui - Taipei Times |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2001/09/22/0000103986 |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=www.taipeitimes.com}}</ref> Other activities that Lee engaged in included maintaining relations with former Taiwanese president [[Chen Shui-bian]] and Japan.

During his presidency, Lee oversaw the end of [[martial law in Taiwan]] and led reforms to [[History of Taiwan (1945–present)|democratize the Republic of China]]. He was an advocate of the [[Taiwanese localization movement]], sought to establish greater international recognition of the country, and has been credited as the president who completed Taiwan's democratic transition. After leaving office, he remained active in Taiwanese politics as a major influence on the pro-independence [[Taiwan Solidarity Union]] (TSU),<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chen|first1=Melody|title=Japan's criticism of referendum has Lee outraged|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/01/01/2003085914|access-date=30 September 2014|newspaper=Taipei Times|date=1 January 2004|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006074643/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/01/01/2003085914|url-status=live}}</ref> and recruited for the party in the past.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lin|first1=Mei-chun|title=Lee Teng-hui seeks KMT legislators|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2001/12/28/0000117627|access-date=30 September 2014|newspaper=Taipei Times|date=28 December 2001|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006102950/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2001/12/28/0000117627|url-status=live}}</ref> After Lee campaigned for TSU candidates in the [[2001 Taiwanese legislative election]], he was expelled by the KMT.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-09-22 |title=KMT breaks it off with Lee Teng-hui - Taipei Times |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2001/09/22/0000103986 |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=www.taipeitimes.com}}</ref> His post-presidency was also marked by efforts to maintain relationships between Taiwan and Japan.

== Early life and education ==

== Early life and education ==

In 1978, Lee was appointed mayor of [[Taipei]],<ref name="Kagan">Richard Kagan. ''Taiwan's Statesman: Lee Teng-hui and Democracy in Asia.'' Naval Institute Press, 2014. p. 91-93. {{ISBN|9781612517551}}</ref> where he solved water shortages and improved the city's irrigation problems. In 1981, he became governor of [[Taiwan Province]]<ref name="Kagan"/> and made further irrigation improvements.

In 1978, Lee was appointed mayor of [[Taipei]],<ref name="Kagan">Richard Kagan. ''Taiwan's Statesman: Lee Teng-hui and Democracy in Asia.'' Naval Institute Press, 2014. p. 91-93. {{ISBN|9781612517551}}</ref> where he solved water shortages and improved the city's irrigation problems. In 1981, he became governor of [[Taiwan Province]]<ref name="Kagan"/> and made further irrigation improvements.

As a skilled [[technocrat]], Lee soon caught the eye of President [[Chiang Ching-kuo]] as a strong candidate to serve as vice president. Chiang sought to move more authority to the ''[[bensheng ren]]'' (residents of Taiwan before 1949 and their descendants) instead of continuing to promote ''[[waisheng ren]]'' (Chinese immigrants who arrived in Taiwan after 1949 and their descendants) as his father had.<ref name="Kagan"/> President Chiang nominated Lee to become his [[Vice President of the Republic of China|Vice President]].<ref name="Kagan"/> Lee was formally elected by the [[National Assembly of the Republic of China|National Assembly]] in 1984.<ref name="Kagan"/>

As a skilled [[technocrat]], Lee soon caught the eye of President [[Chiang Ching-kuo]] as a strong candidate to serve as vice president. Chiang sought to move more authority to the ''[[benshengren]]'' (residents of Taiwan before 1949 and their descendants) instead of continuing to promote ''[[waishengren]]'' (Chinese immigrants who arrived in Taiwan after 1949 and their descendants) as his father had.<ref name="Kagan"/> President Chiang nominated Lee to become his [[Vice President of the Republic of China|Vice President]].<ref name="Kagan"/> Lee was formally elected by the [[National Assembly of the Republic of China|National Assembly]] in 1984.<ref name="Kagan"/>

== Presidency (1988–2000) ==

== Presidency (1988–2000) ==