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
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