Former vice president Lien Chan’s (連戰) mother died of organ failure on Sunday night. She was 103.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who paid his respects to Chao Lan-kun (趙蘭坤) at Lien’s home in Taipei yesterday morning, told reporters after the visit that Lien was distraught over the loss of his mother, but calm.
Ma said Chao was a “wonderful woman” and that she had never returned to her hometown in northeast China after 1931.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei times
She was a dedicated mother and wife to Lien Chen-tung (連震東), he said. Lien Chen-tung was a KMT official who was born in Taiwan, but had lived in China for many years.
While the family would arrange the funeral with the assistance of the church to which she belonged, Ma, who is also the KMT chairman, said the party would offer its full support.
Lien Chan’s office issued a statement on Sunday night when Chao checked into National Taiwan University Hospital because of breathing difficulties. She died of organ failure at 9:16pm. Her family was by her side when she died, the statement said.
Chao, born on July 18, 1908, graduated from Yenching University in Beijing and married Lien Chen-tung in 1934. Their first son, Lien Chan, was born in Xian, Shannxi Province, in 1936 before the family moved back to Taiwan in 1945.
The statement said the family would hold a Christian burial service for Chao and a memorial service at another time. The family established a makeshift-mourning hall at the apartment building where Chao lived with Lien Chan.
Lien Chan had a close relationship with his mother. He usually went home to have lunch with her. During his stint as vice president, he was criticized for this daily routine because of the inconvenience caused by the traffic control imposed along the way to his home during lunch hours.
Among the politicians who paid respects to Chao were former KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).
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