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
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS