Lee Wen-chung

Taiwanese politician (born 1958)
李文忠
Lee in July 2014
Deputy Minister of the Veterans Affairs Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 May 2016MinisterLee Shying-jow
Chiu Kuo-cheng
Feng Shih-kuanMember of the Legislative YuanIn office
1 February 1999 – 15 November 2006ConstituencyTaipei County 1Member of the National AssemblyIn office
1 February 1992 – 31 January 1999 Personal detailsBorn (1958-06-20) 20 June 1958 (age 65)
Nantou County, TaiwanPolitical partyDemocratic Progressive PartySpouseChen De-yu (陳德愉)Alma materNational Taiwan University

Lee Wen-chung (Chinese: 李文忠; born 20 June 1958) is a Taiwanese politician who served in the National Assembly from 1992 to 1999, then in the Legislative Yuan until his resignation in 2006.

Early life

Lee was born to a poor Nantou County family in 1958, and attended National Taiwan University, where he studied political science. Heavily influenced by the 1979 Kaohsiung Incident, he edited tangwai publications and pushed for the school to permit direct elections for student body president alongside Liu Yi-te and Lai Chin-lin. University administration labelled Lee "excessively politically progressive" instead and expelled him in 1986, after which he became active in Taiwan's labor rights movement.[1] Lee was also active in the Wild Lily student movement of 1990.[2]

Political career

Within the Democratic Progressive Party, Lee is allied with the New Tide faction.[3][4] Elected to the National Assembly in 1991 and again in 1996, Lee launched his first campaign for a seat on the Legislative Yuan in 1998.[1][5] Shortly after the 1999 Jiji earthquake, Lee proposed a number of bills intended to aid rescue efforts.[6][7] In his first term, Lee helped uncover a financial scandal involving Taiwan Pineapple Group and members of the Taiwanese judiciary dating back to November 1999.[8][9] That month, Lee and Michael Tsai were charged with libel by fellow legislator Lo Fu-chu. The pair had accused Lo of interference in a Yunlin County by-election in favor of Chang Jung-wei.[10] For a portion of his first term in the Legislative Yuan, Lee served as DPP caucus convenor.[11]

He won reelection to the legislature in 2001.[12] In 2004, an essay written by Lee titled New Culture Discourse was leaked. In it, Lee advocated keeping the Republic of China as Taiwan's official name, stating "there will be no suitable environment in the next two or three decades for the Republic of China (ROC) to change its national name."[13] Reasons given for retaining the Republic of China included acceptance of the term by Taiwan's citizens of both Hoklo and Mainlander descent. In addition, retention of the name was seen to appease the People's Republic of China.[14] Lee spent the end of his second legislative term advocating that the government acquire extensive military equipment.[15][16][17] After winning reelection in December 2004, he continued arguing for military upgrades.[18][19][20] Lee was criticized by the Democratic Progressive Party in 2005 when he proposed that the party revoke its support of Taiwanese independence and form a coalition with the People First Party.[21] Lee and Lin Cho-shui resigned their legislative seats in November 2006 to protest the way a party-led investigation into Chen Shui-bian was being run.[22][23]

Despite his resignation, Lee declared his candidacy for the 2008 legislative election cycle.[24] He next represented the Democratic Progressive Party in the 2009 Nantou County magistracy election. During his campaign, Lee accused Kuomintang candidate Lee Chao-ching of working with Chiang Chin-liang, a convicted felon.[25][26] When DPP member Huang Wen-chun alleged that Lee Wen-chung had also sought the support of Chiang, the party moved to expel Huang.[27] Lee later became director of the party's Department of Organization.[28] He launched his second campaign for the Nantou County magistracy in June 2013 and was formally confirmed as DPP candidate in November.[29][30] Lee lost to Lin Ming-chen, and was named deputy minister of the Veterans Affairs Council in 2016.[31][32]

Political stances

Lee's writings for the Taipei Times have extensively covered military affairs and national defense.[33][34][35] He has also been critical of Ma Ying-jeou and his economic and Cross-Strait policies.[36][37][38][39]

Personal life

Lee is married to Chen De-yu.[29]

References

  1. ^ a b Lin, Mei-chun (31 March 2001). "Warriors of a new generation". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  2. ^ Yu, Sen-lun (13 March 2005). "Mapping the History of Taiwan's Student movements". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  3. ^ Huang, Joyce (29 November 2004). "TSE chief not afraid to be seen as a ruthless boss". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  4. ^ Huang, Joyce (3 November 2001). "Party official says Chen should serve as DPP chairman". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  5. ^ Seymour, James D. (January 1992). "No "level playing field"" (PDF). Taiwan Communiqué (53): 9. ISSN 1027-3999. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  6. ^ Lin, Oliver (26 October 1999). "Necessity of emergency decree laws questioned". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  7. ^ Chen, Lauren (10 October 1999). "Lawmakers debate proactive quake policies". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  8. ^ Lin, Irene (14 January 2000). "Taiwan Pineapple scandal widens". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  9. ^ Lin, Irene (15 January 2000). "Top prosecutor to oversee Taiwan Pineapple inquiry". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  10. ^ "Yunlin County candidate sues two DPP legislators". Taipei Times. 2 November 1999. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  11. ^ Hung, Chen-ling (30 May 2000). "Hsieh considering DPP chairmanship bid". Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  12. ^ Lin, Mei-chun (8 October 2001). "Candidates say criticism still a must". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  13. ^ Wu, Debby (16 May 2004). "'New Culture Discourse' displeases almost everyone". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  14. ^ Wu, Debby (13 May 2004). "Keep ROC tag, young DPP urge". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  15. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (20 October 2004). "Blues quash special arms budget bill". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  16. ^ Wu, Debby (3 November 2004). "Arms bill bites the dust, for now". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  17. ^ Wu, Debby (1 November 2004). "Legislators debate over weapons deal". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  18. ^ Chang, Rich (21 March 2005). "PAC-3s will protect Taiwan, MND says". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  19. ^ Chang, Rich (26 March 2005). "AIP needed for subs: lawmakers". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  20. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (10 November 2005). "DPP demands KMT explanation". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  21. ^ Huang, Jewel (8 January 2005). "DPP criticizes Lee Wen-chung". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  22. ^ Ko, Shu-ling; Chuang, Jimmy (15 November 2006). "President regrets DPP pair's resignations, aide says". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  23. ^ Ko, Shu-ling; Chuang, Jimmy (16 November 2006). "Lin and Lee speak in their committees for the last time". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  24. ^ Wang, Flora (14 December 2007). "KMT legislators ask MND to change marine general". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  25. ^ Hsu, Jenny W. (6 November 2009). "DPP questions premier's links to felon". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  26. ^ Shih, Hsiu-chuan; Hsu, Jenny W. (7 November 2009). "Premier defiant on alleged felon links". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  27. ^ Wang, Flora (12 November 2009). "Political camps trade blows on gangster connections". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  28. ^ Lee, Hsin-fang; Hsu, Stacy (6 April 2013). "DPP seeking to gain from KMT corruption scandals". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  29. ^ a b "Lee Wen-chung to run for Nantou commissioner post". Taipei Times. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  30. ^ Wang, Chris (21 November 2013). "DPP aims to win half of election zones". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  31. ^ Tu, Aaron (1 October 2016). "VAC executives' salaries queried". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  32. ^ Chen, Wei-han (30 December 2016). "China blamed for VAC boss' Singapore snub". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  33. ^ Chang, Bill; Lee, Wen-chung (14 September 2004). "Taiwan needs weapons for safety". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  34. ^ Lee, Wen-chung (21 July 2002). "National defense is important to everyone". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  35. ^ Lee, Wen-chung; Su, Tzu-Yun (17 December 2002). "Jiang's proposal a lesson in realism". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  36. ^ Yang, Wei-chung; Lee, Wen-chung (13 October 2008). "The government's aloof policies". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  37. ^ Lee, Wen-chung (15 September 2008). "Our biggest threat is our own Mr Teflon". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  38. ^ Lee, Wen-chung (10 September 2008). "Ma has abased himself for nought". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  39. ^ Lee, Wen-chung (18 April 2010). "Government acting more like a trade emissary". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 May 2017.