Singaporean Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew (
Lee wrote the letter of condolence in his private capacity, the secretary said, adding that the letter was addressed to Chiang Hsu Nai-chin (
In the letter, Lee said he was a good friend of the late ROC president. He also recalled how during his previous visits to Taiwan, he had taken lunch with the Chiangs at their official residence in suburban Taipei on several occasions.
simple taste
Russian-born Faina Chiang met her husband while he was in the Soviet Union in the 1930s. A woman of simple taste with a technical school education, Faina Chiang left her homeland in 1936 when she joined her husband to return to China.
She had to adjust to joining one of China's most powerful families at the time. China was ruled by her father-in-law, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek (
She fled to Taiwan along with her family in 1949. Her husband became president in 1978 and ended 38 years of martial law just months before he died in 1988. He also oversaw the island's spectacular economic development in the 1980s.
Faina Chiang avoided the spotlight and was known as Taiwan's most low-key first lady.
The couple had three sons and one daughter together.
The three sons have all died, while the daughter, Chiang Hsiao-chang, presently lives in the US with her family.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or