Publisher launches book on former President Lee Teng-hui’s agricultural contributions

2022-07-29

Saturday marks the second anniversary of the death of former President Lee Teng-hui. Though known internationally as "Mr. Democracy," Lee’s initial career was actually in agriculture. A local publisher launched a book Friday on Lee’s contributions to Taiwan’s agricultural policies. The event was attended by the current minister of agriculture and representatives from the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, among others.

Saturday will mark two-year anniversary of the death of former President Lee Teng-hui. To celebrate the occasion, a local publisher on Friday launched a new book titled: “Mr. Agriculture Lee Teng-hui.” It covers the late president’s contributions to farming in Taiwan. The book contains many old photographs showing Lee operating farm equipment, inspecting crops and interacting with local farmers. Lee’s daughter, Annie Lee, who now heads a foundation in his name, attended the event and shared some stories about her father.

Annie Lee
Lee Teng-hui Foundation head
Many people know my father as a politician. But back then, that was not who my father was. The memories I treasure the most is when I was young and my father was a scholar.

Before becoming a pioneering figure in Taiwan’s democratic evolution, Lee Teng-hui was an agroeconomics scholar. He started his career in agriculture while studying in Japan. Later, he attended National Taiwan University, where he studied agricultural science. Even when he entered politics, he always stressed that agriculture is the foundation upon which nations are built.

Chen Chi-chung
Council of Agriculture
If you go to the minister’s office at the Council of Agriculture, you’ll see calligraphy with four characters that says “agriculture is the foundation of our country.” This calligraphy was personally inked by Lee Teng-hui.

The book has a foreword by President Tsai Ing-wen, and is a complete record of Lee’s agricultural policies. The event was also attended by a representative from the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, who said that Lee and former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo had worked together to improve ties between their two countries.

Murashima Ikuyo
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association
We recently lost former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, who saw Lee Teng-hui as a mentor. But we can’t stop now. President Lee Teng-hui and Prime Minister Abe Shinzo are above us, watching our work to strengthen ties between Taiwan and Japan. Let’s keep working toward that goal.

Annie Lee
Lee Teng-hui Foundation head
It was a loss for everyone, which will leave its mark on all. These few days some delegations of Japanese representatives have come to Taiwan, and we’re going to have some events to go up to Wuzhi Mountain Military Cementery.

The Japanese representative said Abe respected Lee as a teacher, and had on many occasions expressed a wish that he would like to visit Lee’s grave in Taiwan. Although such a visit did not happen due to Abe’s untimely death, the fruits of the friendship between the two former leaders will live on.

"永遠的農業人"新書發表記錄李登輝農業貢獻

2022-07-29

30號是前總統李登輝逝世2年的日子，大家尊稱他為民主先生，但他其實也是農經專家，出版社以永遠的農業人為題，出書記錄李登輝的事蹟，日台交流協會也來站台支持，感謝他對台日關係的貢獻。

前總統李登輝逝世將滿兩週年，出版社舉辦新書發表會，以「永遠的農業人李登輝
為題，記錄他對台灣農業的貢獻，書中還秀出老照片，不管是到農改場操作機具，或視察農作物、與農民互動。李登輝基金會董事長李安妮，也分享跟父親的回憶。

[[李登輝基金會董事長李安妮]]
“多數人認識的是政治工作者爸爸，但是那段時間對我來講那不是我的爸爸，我最珍惜的其實是小時候那一段的學者爸爸。”

李前總統在成為民主先生前，其實是一位農經學者，在日本求學時，已種下服務農業的種子，後來也就讀台大農經系，從政時更走訪基層，並強調農為國本的精神。

[[農委會主委陳吉仲]]
“所有人到農委會到主委辦公室，就是有四個字，農為國本，各位不要看農為國本四個字，這是李總統親自題的四個字在這裡。”

由總統蔡英文寫序，書中記錄李登輝推行的農業政策，日台交流協會也來站台支持，談到他和日本前首相安倍晉三，對台日關係的貢獻。

[[日台交流協會新聞文化部長村嶋郁代]]
“痛失了奉李登輝前總統為師的安倍前首相，但我們不能停下來，天堂的李登輝總統以及安倍首相，將會看到我們為了強化日本跟台灣的關係，繼續努力。”

[[李登輝基金會董事長李安妮]]
“大家都非常不捨，都留下一些遺憾。這幾天剛好也有日本議員訪問團在台灣，我們還是會有一些上五指山的活動。”

安倍晉三尊李登輝為師，多次表達想來台灣祭拜李登輝的願望，雖然無法實現，但兩人深厚的情誼也永存心中。