Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) yesterday praised former president Lee Teng-hui’s (李登輝) contributions to the development of Taiwanese agriculture at the launch of Harvest Publications’ new book, Mr Agriculture — Lee Teng-hui (永遠的農業人:李登輝與台灣農業).
The first 50 years of Taiwan’s development are closely related to agriculture, and anyone who wishes to understand it should read the book, Chen said at the launch in Taipei, held on the eve of the second anniversary of Lee’s passing.
Lee’s belief that agriculture was the backbone of the nation is a core value that every agriculture minister cherishes, Chen said, adding that the council, carrying on Lee’s dreams, is pushing for “green agriculture” that would safeguard farmers’ interests while ensuring environmental sustainability.
Photo: CNA
Lee’s policies shed light on why Japanese engineer Yoichi Hatta, known for his contributions to hydraulic engineering in Taiwan, had pushed for the building of the Chianan Irrigation Canal (嘉南大圳), which turned the Chianan Plain (嘉南平原) into the breadbasket of Taiwan, Chen said.
Lee’s devotion to furthering agriculture policies, including farmers’ health insurance and occupational hazard insurance, has deeply affected agricultural policies and are still in effect, he said.
Ikuyo Murashima, head of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association’s cultural affairs and public relations department, said Lee introduced to Japan Hatta’s role in the construction of the Chianan Irrigation Canal and its continuing contribution to Taiwanese agriculture.
Taiwanese do not have to thank Japan for such an engineering feat, because Taiwanese themselves took part in its construction, Murashima added.
Taiwanese agriculture is a key factor in building closer relations between Japan and Taiwan, Murashima said, adding that she was confident that the late Lee and former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who considered Lee a mentor, would be glad to see Taiwan and Japan working together to deepen their friendship.
Separately, the Lee Teng-hui Foundation and Lee’s family yesterday announced that it would donate 2,000 manuscripts of Lee’s speeches and other documents to the Academia Historica.
The Academia Historica is holding a ceremony today to accept the donation.
The documents include valuable manuscripts, such as Lee’s conversation with then-Straits Exchange Foundation chairman Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) before he visited China in 1998.
Koo’s visit would later be cited as the foundation of the so-called “1992 consensus,” a term that former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted to making up in 2000 — referring to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its interpretation of what “China” means.
Additional reporting by Lee Hsin-fang
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS