Taipei Veterans General Hospital yesterday rebutted speculation that former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) had died a day earlier, saying that he was weak, but receiving treatment.
The hospital said the 97-year-old Lee was not in good condition and needed ongoing care, adding that if there are any changes in his condition, it would make those public.
The comments came after rumors emerged online on Tuesday that Lee had died after being hospitalized since early February.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Soon after the unsubstantiated rumors emerged, reporters started flocking to the hospital seeking confirmation.
Lee was admitted to Taipei Veterans General Hospital on Feb. 8 after choking while drinking milk. He was diagnosed with pulmonary infiltration and has since been intubated.
The hospital has been tight-lipped about Lee’s condition, but speculation has been rife that his health has deteriorated over the past few months.
A source inside the hospital told the Central News Agency that Lee’s health has been unstable for a long time, and that his condition could change for the worse at any time.
Lee’s condition has become more unstable recently, the source said, adding that medical personnel are providing the care necessary to keep his condition in check.
Before the hospital issued its statement, the pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), which Lee founded, dismissed rumors of Lee’s death in a Facebook post.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Vice President William Lai (賴清德) and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) visited Lee yesterday morning.
Born under Japanese colonial rule, Lee was educated in Japan and the US, and cultivated by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to succeed former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國).
Later in life, he became a prominent advocate for Taiwanese identity and statehood, founding the TSU.
In 2001, Lee was expelled from the KMT for stumping for a TSU legislative candidate and lending support to the Democratic Progressive Party.
Taiwan, which accounts for more than half of the global outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing market, is well-positioned to develop copackaged optics (CPO) and manufacture precision silicon photonics chips, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. Silicon photonics are emerging as a mainstream optical communications technology and is seen as key to overcoming bottlenecks in AI computing power. The technology is a key project under the government’s New 10 Major AI Infrastructure Projects, with industry, government, academia and research institutions working to overcome critical technological hurdles and build a self-reliant silicon photonics supply chain, the ministry said. Nvidia Corp in March invested US$4
The air force plans to build 26 more hardened aircraft shelters as the number of F-16Vs stationed along Taiwan’s east coast is expected to reach 120 when the final shipment of 66 jets procured from the US arrives. The incoming jets would be stationed at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung County, augmenting the F-16V Block 20s operated by the 5th Tactical Fighter Wing in Hualien County, officials said yesterday. The air force plans to allocate more than NT$6.88 billion (US$218.1 million) from next year to 2031 to build the shelters in Hualien and Taitung as part of the implementation of a “one
Palau’s president yesterday called for a “unified” Pacific response to a missile test by China in July, while Taiwan and its Pacific allies a day earlier at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) reaffirmed their commitment to peace, stability and prosperity. China gave only a handful of nations short notice before test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile in July, sparking condemnation from several Pacific leaders. The 18-member PIF being held in Palau was expected to release a communique after press time last night, with a formal response to the test possibly included. Palau, which invited Taiwan to attend sideline events as an aid partner, urged
China’s continued efforts to inject geopolitical rivalry into the region and disrupt Pacific nations’ discussions of regional issues warrant greater international attention, a foreign affairs official said yesterday. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) last week led a delegation to diplomatic ally Palau to attend events related to the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) summit. However, the absence of some member-state leaders has been interpreted by some people as a sign of fracturing in Pacific unity. Thirteen PIF members were represented by their heads of state or government, while Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Samoa sent ministerial-level representatives, a diplomatic official
RSS