Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Lee was born in Jiangsu province, China, and came to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese Civil War when he was six.
He graduated in 1960 from the Taiwan Central Police College with a degree in Police Science.
Lee became the youngest captain in modern Chinese history when he was promoted at the age of 22 during his service at the Taipei City Police Headquarters.
Ma said Lee has in recent years, helped the Taipei City Police Headquarters train a new generation of forensic professionals.
"The conferment of honorary citizenship represents our gratitude for Lee's contributions to our forensic-investigation work," Ma said.
Lee is the ninth non-Taipei citizen to obtain the honor since the Taipei City Government set up the system for individuals who have made significant contributions to the city.
Lee, who is currently on an eight-day visit to Taipei, said he was honored to receive the honor.
Earlier in the day, Lee visited the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) to discuss preparations for an international seminar on forensic science to be held in Taiwan next year.
Lee, who conducted a forensic investigation into the March 19 presidential election-eve shooting of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) this summer, said that if time permits, he will also visit the Criminal Investigation Bureau to learn the latest developments in the case.
Asked about his view on the controversial "319 truth commission" formed by the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan to pursue look into the mysterious shooting, Lee said he recognizes the necessity of setting up a special commission to look into the high-profile incident, but he added that the investigative work itself should be handled by the CIB.
"It's all too common in foreign countries to form a supra-ministerial and non-political commission to pursue the truth behind major cases that have caused widespread public concerns, " Lee said, adding that the most important thing is that the commission should transcend "ministries and politics."
Noting that the gist of forensic work lies in "letting the evidence speak for itself," Lee said the conclusion of his forensic investigation of the March 19 shooting is that President Chen indeed sustained a gunshot wound.
Lee stressed that the conclusion has nothing to do with whether he sympathizes with Taiwan's "pan-green camp" of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and its pro-independence allies or the opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the People First Party.
If local individuals or groups have different views about the March 19 shooting, Lee said, they can convey their views to the 319 Truth Commission.
The coast guard drove away 567 Chinese boats and seized seven illegally operating in Taiwanese waters in the first six months of this year, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday. They mostly operated near Kinmen and Penghu counties, resulting in fines totaling NT$1.7 million (US$52,440), it said. Three ships — two near Kinmen County and one near Penghu County — were detained in January for illegally crossing the border, while one ship each was detained near Kinmen in February and Penghu in March respectively, it said. The ship seized near Penghu in January was the Yun Ao (雲澳), detained by the CGA’s
Military photovoltaic projects have been found to have used Chinese-made devices blacklisted by the government, including Huawei Technologies Co routers, the Ministry of National Defense’s Armaments Bureau said on Thursday. An ongoing investigation has identified the illegal use of 128 current transformers, two routers and a data reader at the Hungchailin Army Base, Pinghai Navy Base and Tri-Service General Hospital’s Songshan branch, it said. The devices were manufactured in the Chinese factories of German solar energy equipment supplier SMA Solar Technology, Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Delta Electronics Co, Chinese electronics manufacturer Huawei and Taiwanese industrial PC maker Advantech Co, the bureau said. The bureau’s
The entire Alishan Forest Railway line is to reopen for the first time in 15 years on Saturday, with tickets to go on sale at 2pm today. The historic railway from Chiayi to Alishan (阿里山) is finally set to reopen after the completion of the final No. 42 tunnel, Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office Deputy Director-General Chou Heng-kai (周恆凱) said. It is to run on a new timetable, with four trains daily, he said. The 9am train is to depart from Chiayi Railway Station bound for Shizilu Station (十字路), while the 10am train departing from Chiayi is to go all the
Beijing’s recent provocative actions against the Philippines in the South China Sea were partly meant as a “dress rehearsal” for the invasion of Taiwan, former US deputy national security advisor Matt Pottinger said at a Heritage Foundation forum in Washington on Tuesday. Beijing’s blocking of a Philippine resupply mission on June 17 with unprecedented violence had multiple implications. “What they’re doing is trying to demonstrate that they can blockade, create a sense of futility and discredit the idea that the United States is going to help not only the Philippines, but by extension Taiwan,” Pottinger said. Pottinger was referring to a clash