李登輝

Biography

Lee Teng-hui (January 15, 1923 – July 30, 2020), born in Sanzhi, Taipei Prefecture during the Japanese colonial period, was an outstanding agricultural economist and a highly influential political figure in the history of the Republic of China (ROC). Serving as the 7th, 8th, and 9th President of the ROC (1988–2000), he was the first popularly elected president and the first native Taiwanese to hold the office. He graduated from Kyoto Imperial University and Taipei Imperial University and earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University.

Ascending to Power and the Constitutional “Quiet Revolution”

Following the passing of President Chiang Ching-kuo on January 13, 1988, Lee Teng-hui, then Vice President, succeeded to the presidency in accordance with the law. Over his twelve-year tenure, using sophisticated political maneuvers, he gradually consolidated power amidst intense factional struggles between the “Mainstream” and “Non-Mainstream” factions within the KMT. He initiated a series of profound reforms that reshaped the constitutional order of the ROC:

• Termination of the Period of Mobilization for Suppressing the Communist Rebellion: In 1991, he officially terminated the Period of Mobilization and abolished the Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion, returning the nation to a normal constitutional track.
• Full Parliamentary Re-elections: He pushed for the retirement of lifetime members of the National Assembly and the Legislative Yuan, establishing full parliamentary elections and laying the foundation for modern representative democracy.
• Direct Presidential Elections: Through several constitutional amendments, he established the system of electing the president directly by the citizens of the Free Area of the ROC. In March 1996, partnering with Lien Chan, he won the historic first direct presidential election in the history of the ROC, earning the moniker “Mr. Democracy” from international media.

Controversial Historical Shifts

Despite his contributions to democratic transition, Lee’s ideological shifts and governance style in his mid-to-late presidency remain highly controversial in ROC history:

• The “Two-States Theory”: In July 1999, during an interview with Deutsche Welle, Lee publicly conceptualized cross-strait relations as a “state-to-state, or at least a special state-to-state relationship,” dismantling the established constitutional understanding and triggering intense cross-strait tension.
• Opening the Abyss of “Black-Gold” Politics: To suppress the Non-Mainstream faction, he was widely accused of introducing local factions, tycoons, and organized crime elements into the Legislative Yuan and local councils, casting a persistent shadow of money politics (“black-gold”) over ROC governance.
• The “No Haste, Be Patient” Policy: Faced with the massive tide of Taiwanese businesses investing in mainland China, he strictly restricted large-scale investments, a move criticized by economists for missing the golden window to establish the ROC as an Asia-Pacific Operations Center.
• Betrayal of Party Rules and National Legitimacy: After stepping down, he openly aligned with radical Taiwanese independence movements, founded the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), and repeatedly made pro-Japan remarks that questioned the sovereignty and legitimacy of the ROC, sparking intense outrage among constitutional loyalists.

Historical Legacy

Lee’s life spanned the Japanese colonial era, the authoritarian transition, and the democratic era. His political alignment underwent several drastic shifts. While he was a pivotal figure in dismantling the authoritarian structure and building representative democracy, he was also the primary driver behind fracturing national identity, undermining the ROC’s constitutional legitimacy, and patronizing money politics. He passed away on July 30, 2020, at the age of 97.

Editor-in-Chief’s Verdict from Taiwan NEXT: Lee Teng-hui is undoubtedly the most complex and polarizing figure in the modern constitutional history of the Republic of China. He was the “Quiet Revolutionist” who ended the lifetime parliament, yet also the “Black-Gold Patron” who brought gangsters and moneyed interests into the sacred halls of governance. He swore allegiance to the ROC’s constitutional legitimacy as head of state, yet actively worked to deconstruct that very national identity after leaving office. History is an impartial mirror: while Lee’s compromises and political maneuvers paved the way for popular elections, the identity confusion and institutionalized corruption he left behind continue to demand a painful price from this land.