LIEN Chan

A native of Tainan, Taiwan, and a graduate of the Department of Political Science of National Taiwan University, Lien Chan received a master’s degree in international law and diplomacy and a doctorate in political science from the University of Chicago in the U.S. Besides premier, he also served as chief of the Kuomintang’s (KMT) youth affairs department, vice secretary-general of the KMT Central Committee, vice chairman of the KMT, minister of the National Youth Commission, minister of transportation and communications, vice premier, foreign minister, chairman of the Taiwan Provincial Government, and vice president of the ROC.

Important Events

• 1993.04.27
  In Singapore, a historic cross-strait meeting takes place between leaders of Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation and mainland China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits.
• 1993.06.10
  The Executive Yuan Council passes a draft of the February 28 Incident Disposition and Compensation Act, which is approved by the Legislature on March 23, 1995 and promulgated by the president on April 7, 1995.
• 1994.07.14
  The Executive Yuan Council approves a plan to promote 12 key construction projects.
• 1995.01.05
  The Executive Yuan Council passes the Plan for Developing Taiwan as an Asia-Pacific Regional Operations Center.
• 1995.03.01
  The National Health Insurance program is launched.
• 1995.09.19
  The first round of subsidies for elderly farmers is paid out.
• 1995.12.08
  The Taiwan-Macau flight route begins service, allowing passengers to fly between Taiwan and Beijing via Macau without changing aircraft.
• 1996.03.23
  In the ROC’s first-ever direct election of president and vice president, Lee Teng-hui and Lien Chan win, respectively.
• 1996.12.19
  The Executive Yuan Council passes a draft of the Budget Act, approved by the Legislature on October 15, 1998 and promulgated by the president on October 29, 1998. This law shifts the start of the government’s fiscal year from July 1 to January 1.
• 1996.12.23
  The National Development Conference is held, culminating in a cross-party consensus on December 27, 1996 on five key points: (1) a premier nominated by the president need not be approved by the Legislature; (2) the president is entitled to dismiss the Legislature; (3) all provincial elections are to be frozen; (4) township and town executives are to be government-appointed; and (5) cabinet dismissal power and impeachment power against the president and vice president are to be given to the Legislature.
• 1997.08.12
  For civil servants, the Executive Yuan approves two-day weekends for the second and fourth weeks of each month and changes eight national holidays to regular work days, to take effect January 1, 1998.
• 1997.08.24
  The second north-south freeway (National Highway No. 3) opens in its entirety.