Government leaders and prominent public figures yesterday paid tribute to political commentator Chen Li-hung (陳立宏), 52, who died of a brain tumor at a Taipei hospital on Wednesday, following several operations and chemotherapy over the past three years.
“All his life, Li-hung, using pen and microphone, let people see what is good about Taiwan and the important values of our democracy,” President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said on Facebook.
“I want to express my gratitude for what he has done for this land of ours. I shall not forget his ideals and I shall not let him down,” Tsai wrote.
Photo: Chung Chih-kai, Taipei Times
“We are deeply saddened by Li-hung’s passing,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) LLegislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) said. “Always concerned with our nation’s future, he spoke up on many issues and gave valuable insight on current affairs.”
“We will vividly remember his great work and incisive remarks. People were touched by his fighting spirit that never quit,” Su said.
“Chen was a media personality who articulated views based on his love for Taiwan. He always had a smile on his face and told people how proud he was of being Taiwanese. Everyone saw his contributions to the nation,” Su said.
Doctors diagnosed Chen with a malignant brain tumor at an advanced stage in 2015.
Chen’s final public appearance was in Changhua County in January last year, when he spoke on behalf of then-presidential candidate Tsai in the run-up to the election.
At that time, Chen said that after learning of the illness, he felt the affection and caring of all Taiwanese.
“I must go on living and fight off the grip of death,” he said.
During that final appearance, Chen displayed optimism about his condition.
“God is looking kindly over me so that I am getting better. He is allowing me to see the DPP become the ruling party,” he said.
“I want to go on living, because I want to see the dawning of a bright future for Taiwan,” he said.
A second-generation Mainlander born in then-Tainan County, Chen went into journalism after graduating from National Taiwan University with a degree in political science.
He worked for the Chinese-language China Times Express and United Evening News, before branching into radio broadcasting and later becoming a political commentator on TV talk shows.
Although he was associated with the pan-blue camp and its affiliated media outlets earlier in his career, Chen later became more associated with the pan-green camp, hosting shows on the Greenpeace Broadcasting Station and working with pro-Taiwan localization groups.
“I spoke to him when he was getting treatment,” New Power Party Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said. “Chen did not say much about his condition, but he was most concerned about Taiwan’s future and its political development… I am anguished after learning that he has departed.”
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by