Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) passed away at 7:24pm yesterday at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. He was 97 years old.
The hospital stated the cause of death as septic shock and multiple organ failure.
Lee had been hospitalized there since February, when he choked on a mouthful of milk at home. He was later diagnosed with pulmonary infiltrates and aspiration pneumonia.
Photo: Reuters
The hospital said that Lee had been treated with antibiotics, but that his health had not improved, as his advanced age and diabetes had inhibited his immune system and led to recurring infections.
During his hospitalization, Lee underwent daily kidney dialysis, which removed electrolytes and excess liquids, so that nutrient solutions introduced via intravenous drip and blood infusions would bring him strength.
The hospital said that Lee’s body would remain at the hospital until Lee’s wife, Tseng Wen-hui (曾文惠), and his family, could make further arrangements.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Yesterday, when a doctor announced Lee’s passing, Tseng was by his side, the hospital added.
During his lifetime, Lee underwent 12 stent procedures, 11 for his heart and one for his vertebral artery — installed when he was 92 years old.
Lee had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2011 and underwent a colectomy to remove the tumor that year. In 2007, he was diagnosed with cataracts, and had an intraocular lens inserted in 2013.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expressed her deep sadness at Lee’s passing, and instructed the Presidential Office and other government agencies to offer Lee’s family whatever assistance they might need.
Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) said that Taiwanese should thank Lee for choosing democracy at a critical time in history, leading the country out from under the shadow of autocratic government.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) also offered his condolences to Lee’s family through his office, while affirming Lee’s contributions to Taiwan’s democratization.
Ma believes that while Lee’s political ideas underwent major changes after he left the presidency, history would render a just and objective evaluation of Lee’s career, the office said.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday posted a photograph of him visiting Lee at the hospital in May last year.
Lee is most admired not only for his political achievements, but also for his life philosophy, which is full of wisdom, Ko wrote on Facebook.
Lee allowed the nation to smoothly evolve from an authoritarian regime to a democratic one, and he was able to withdraw from the political scene at his peak, Ko wrote, describing Lee as a “hero of the era.”
AMPHIBIOUS EXERCISES: The defense ministry said that it had detected 24 Chinese PLA Air Force planes entering Taiwan’s air defense zone over the previous 24 hours Chinese movements around Taiwan were “abnormal,” Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said yesterday, flagging recent amphibious exercises in addition to drills Taipei has observed in China’s Fujian Province. Taiwan has reported a rise in Chinese military activity over the past week as dozens of fighters, drones, bombers and other aircraft, as well as warships, have operated around the nation. “Our initial analysis is that they are doing joint drills in September, including land, sea, air and amphibious,” Chiu told reporters at the legislature in Taipei. The “recent enemy situation is quite abnormal,” he said. The comments followed a statement from the
IN MOURNING: Tsai visited the site and spoke with family members of those killed, while all the major presidential candidates said they would temporarily halt campaigning A fire and subsequent explosions at a golf ball factory at Pingtung Technology Industrial Park (屏東科技產業園區) killed at least seven people, including four firefighters, and injured 98, while three were still missing, authorities said yesterday. The blaze at Launch Technologies Co’s (明揚國際) plant on Jingjian Road raged for more than 12 hours after it started at about 5pm on Friday, officials said. The Pingtung County Fire Bureau early yesterday used large excavators to search for missing people, while family members waited at the scene. Pingtung County Fire Bureau Director Hsu Mei-hsueh (許美雪) said the bureau received a call about the fire at 5:31pm
DETERRENCE: The president on Thursday is to launch the first indigenous submarine, which is to enter sea trials next month before being delivered to the navy next year Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two new, domestically developed submarines by 2027, and possibly equip later models with missiles to bolster its deterrence against the Chinese navy and protect key supply lines, the head of the program said. Taiwan has made the Indigenous Submarine Program a key part of an ambitious project to modernize its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who initiated the program when she took office in 2016, is expected to launch the first of eight new submarines on Thursday under a plan that has drawn on expertise and technology from
SDG AGENDA: Eswatini’s king told the UN that including Taiwan in the body is an essential next step to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Marshall Islands President David Kabua on Wednesday called on the UN to rescind its interpretation of Resolution 2758, which bars Taiwan from participating in the international organization. There is still a “visible crack” in the UN, as it “will never be whole and complete without the meaningful participation of the 23 million people of Taiwan,” Kabua said in his address on the second day of the General Debate at the 78th General Assembly in New York. He also criticized the UN’s specialized agencies, meetings and mechanisms for what he described as their continuous efforts to close the doors to journalists and visitors
RSS