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.”
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS