| 1995 |
|
| Jan. 5 -- |
The Executive Yuan Council approves
the plan for developing Taiwan into an Asia-Pacific Regional Operations
Center. |
| 30 -- |
Mainland Chinese President Jiang Zemin
offers an eight-point proposal, urging Taiwan to hold talks with the
mainland to officially end the hostile standoff between the two sides. |
| Feb. 28 -- |
President Lee expresses an apology to
families of the victims of the February 28 Incident of 1947 at the
Taipei New Park, where a monument commemorating the tragedy was built
with government sponsorship. |
| Mar. 1 -- |
The National Health Insurance program
is formally inaugurated. |
| 6 -- |
A Coordination and Service Office for
the Asia-Pacific Regional Operations Center (also known as the APROC
Window) is established in the Council for Economic Planning and Development
to ensure that the Asia-Pacific Regional Operations Center plan is
faithfully implemented. |
| 20 -- |
Sheu Yuan-dong replaces Liang Kuo-shu
as governor of the Central Bank of China. |
| 23 -- |
Regulations Governing the Management
and Compensation for Victims of the February 28 Incident passes
the Legislative Yuan. According to the regulations, a foundation will
be established to manage affairs concerned, and February 28 will be
designated a national commemoration day. |
| Apr. 1 -- |
President Lee starts his four-day visit
to the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. |
| 8 -- |
At the meeting of the National Unification
Council, President Lee offers a six-point proposal for Taiwan-mainland
relations. |
| 19 -- |
Malawi President Bakili Muluzi pays
a state visit to Taipei. |
| May 19 -- |
The Legislative Yuan approves the tem
porary statute on welfare payments for elderly farmers, granting them
a monthly stipend of NT$3,000. |
| 22 -- |
The ROC and Papua New Guinea sign a
joint communique in Taipei and establish mutual recognition in order
to improve cooperation on the basis of reciprocal benefits. |
| June 7 -- |
President Lee arrives in the United
States for a reunion at his alma mater, Cornell University. |
| 15 -- |
Premier Lien Chan launches a six-day
visit to three European countries: Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.
He is the highest ROC official to visit Europe since the ROC government
moved to Taipei in 1949. |
| 30 -- |
The US government officially announces
cancellation of the sanctions against Taiwan issued under the Pelly
Amendment. |
| July 1 -- |
The ROC resumes full diplomatic relations
with Gambia after a 21-year hiatus. |
| 19 -- |
The Legislature approves the Presidential
and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Law, setting ground
rules for the March 23, 1996, popular election of the ROC president
and vice president. |
| 21 -- |
The Chinese mainland begins eight days
of firing surface-to-surface missiles into the East China Sea about
140 kilometers north of Taiwan. |
| 26 -- |
The US Congress honors Mme. Chiang Kai-shek
at a Capitol Hill reception in recognition of her contribution to
Allied efforts during World War II. |
| Aug. 15 -- |
The Chinese mainland begins 11days of
firing tactical guided missiles and live artillery shells into the
sea 136 kilometers north of Taiwan. |
| 17 -- |
Control Yuan President Chen Li-an announces
his candidacy for president and, on the following day, renounces his
42-year KMT membership. |
| 19 -- |
The Foreign Ministry issues a position
paper entitled "Why the UN Resolution No. 2758 Adopted in 1971 Should
Be Reexamined Today." The paper stressed that UN Resolution 2758,
which excluded the ROC from the UN system and its activities, is obsolete
and unjust and ought to be reexamined. |
| 22 -- |
The KMT convenes its 14th National Congress
and Lee Teng-hui, party chairman, announces he will seek the party's
presidential nomination. Lin Yang-kang, a KMT vice chairman, declares
his intention not to seek the nomination but to run as an independent. |
| 24 -- |
President Juan Carlos Wasmosy of Paraguay
leads a delegation to Taipei for a four-day visit. |
| 31 -- |
The KMT nominates incumbent President
Lee as its presidential candidate; the next day President Lee names
Premier Lien as his running mate. |
| Sep. 7 -- |
The ROC and Singapore initial an agreement
to cooperate on a project to launch a telecommunications satellite. |
| 17 -- |
An exhibition of 71 landscape paintings
from the collection of the Louvre in Paris opens at the National Palace
Museum in Taipei. |
| 21 -- |
Economics Minister Chiang Pin-kung leads
a delegation to the 19th Joint Conference of ROC-USA and USA-ROC Economic
Councils in Anchorage, Alaska. |
| 25 -- |
The DPP nominates Peng Ming-min, a former
political science professor and a long-time dissident in exile, as
its presidential candidate after a 15-week primary; Peng later names
Legislator Frank Chang-ting Hsieh as his running mate. |
| -- |
Rodrigo Oreamuno, vice president of
Costa Rica, arrives in Taipei for a weeklong visit. |
| 27 -- |
Jeffrey Koo, chairman of the Chinese
National Association of Industry and Commerce, leads a delegation
to the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council meeting in Beijing. |
| Oct. 3 -- |
Manuel Saturnino da Costa, prime minister
of Guinea-Bissau, arrives in Taipei for a six-day visit. |
| 17 -- |
The ROC and Macau establish a five-year
renewable air pact allowing Eva Airways, Transasia Airways, and Air
Macau to fly routes between Taiwan and Macau. |
| 21 -- |
Independent presidential candidate Chen
Li-an names Wang Ching-feng, a Control Yuan member, as his running
mate. |
| Nov. 15 -- |
Independent presidential hopeful Lin
Yang-kang names former Premier Hau Pei-tsun as his running mate. |
| 17 -- |
Koo Chen-fu, a senior adviser to the
ROC president, arrives in Osaka, Japan, to attend the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation forum summit in place of President Lee. |
| 21 -- |
The ROC and Australia sign a memorandum
of understanding to permit temporary duty-free entry of certain goods
as a means of increasing two-way trade. |
| 25 -- |
The ROC and Poland, to boost economic
ties, initial an agreement to avoid double taxation and prevent tax
evasion by investors. |
| Dec. 2 -- |
The Republic of China elects 164 lawmakers
to the Third Legislative Yuan. |
| 1996
|
|
| Jan. 3 -- |
The ROC and the Republic of Senegal
resume full diplomatic relations. |
| 11 -- |
Vice President Li Yuan-zu leaves for
the Republic of Guatemala to attend the inaugural ceremony of President
Alvaro Enrique Arzu Irigoyen, traveling via Los Angeles, USA. |
| 16 -- |
The Legislature passes three telecommunications
laws--the Telecommunications Act, the Organizational Statute
of the Directorate General of Telecommunications, Ministry of Transportation
and Communications, and the Statute of Chunghwa Telecom Co.,
Ltd. These laws relieve the DGT of the function of providing telecommunications
services, making it a regulatory agency only; open the telecommunications
sector to private and foreign investment; and strengthen controls
on transmission frequencies. |
| 23 -- |
An ROC Ministry of Education ad hoc
committee decides that 452 works of art from the National Palace Museum
in Taipei will be allowed to go on a 13-month exhibition trip to the
United States. This is one of the largest bodies of national treasures
ever to tour overseas. |
| Feb. 12 -- |
Faced with threatening military maneuvers
undertaken by Beijing, the Executive Yuan sets up a temporary policy-making
task force to closely follow developments and coordinate the actions
of various agencies to respond to the situation. |
| Mar. 8 -- |
The Chinese mainland begins eight days
of test-firing surface-to-surface missiles in waters close to major
ports in northeastern and southwestern Taiwan. |
| 12 -- |
The Chinese mainland commences nine
days of naval and air military exercises in an area of the Taiwan
Strait only 53 kilometers from Kinmen and 70 kilometers from the Penghu
Islands. |
| 18 -- |
The Chinese mainland begins eight days
of war games involving ground, air, and naval forces in an area of
the sea located 85 kilometers northwest of Taiwan proper. |
| 23 -- |
Four pairs of candidates compete in
the first-ever direct election of the ROC president and vice president.
The Lee-Lien ticket wins, garnering 54 percent of the vote. At the
same time, 334 members of the Third National Assembly are also elected. |
| 28 -- |
After eight years of construction, the
Mucha Line of the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit Systems officially commences
operations. |
| Apr 28 -- |
The Ministry of Economic Affairs announces
that starting July 1, 1996, imports of another 1,609 categories of
industrial commodities will be allowed from the Chinese mainland,
marking the ROC government's largest-scale relaxation of restrictions
on mainland imports. |
| May 20 -- |
Lee Teng-hui and Lien Chan are sworn
in as ROC president and vice president, respectively.
In his inaugural address, President
Lee emphasizes that it is neither necessary nor possible to adopt
a so-called "Taiwan independence" line. He expresses his hope that
the two sides will counter animosity with peace and forgiveness
and turn to the important task of ending the enmity across the strait.
President Lee also indicates his willingness to make a "journey
of peace" to the Chinese mainland. He says that in order to bring
forth a new era of communication and cooperation between the two
sides, he is willing to meet and directly exchange opinions with
the top mainland leadership.
|
| June 5 -- |
President Lee Teng-hui appoints Vice
President Lien Chan to serve concurrently as ROC premier. A cabinet
reshuffle is passed three days later. |
| 7 -- |
At his first press conference as vice
president/premier, Lien Chan indicates that the ROC has not ruled
out the possibility of the two sides exchanging visits by high-ranking
officials. He also emphasizes the need to reopen channels for cross-strait
talks. |
| 28 -- |
The ROC exchanges economic and trade
representative office with the Republic of Belarus. Belarus is the
second (Russia being the first) member of the Commonwealth of Independent
States to establish such a level of relations with the ROC. |
| 30 -- |
South African Foreign Minister Alfred
Nzo arrives for a three-day visit. |
| July 4-- |
The National Assembly convenes and subsequently
elects Fredrick Chien speaker and Shieh Lung-sheng deputy speaker. |
| 11 -- |
Paraguayan President Juan Carlos Wasmosy
visits the ROC. |
| 15 -- |
Honduran President Carlos Roberto Reina
arrives in Taipei for a five-day visit. |
| 18 -- |
The European Parliament passes a resolution
supporting ROC efforts to be represented in international organizations. |
| 24 -- |
The Foreign Ministry protests Japan's
decision to include the Tiaoyutai Islets in its 200-nautical-mile
exclusive economic zone. |
| 30 -- |
Chen Jing wins a silver medal in women's
table tennis singles at the Olympics in Atlanta. |
| Aug. 12 -- |
Vice President and Premier Lien Chan
departs for the Dominican Republic to attend the August 16 inauguration
of President Leonel Fernandez. |
| 19 -- |
Vice President and Premier Lien Chan
visits Ukraine. |
| -- |
Niger switches diplomatic ties from
Taipei to Beijing. |
| 24 -- |
The ROC wins the 1996 Little League
World Series in the US city of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. |
| 28 -- |
El Salvador President Armando Calderon
Sol visits the ROC. |
| Sep. 11 -- |
The US removes the ROC from a wildlife
conservation watchlist in recognition of its progress in protecting
endangered species. |
| 12 -- |
The ROC states a four-point position
in the Tiaoyutai Islets dispute with Japan: the ROC's absolute sovereignty,
a rational attitude, no cooperation with Beijing, and the protection
of Taiwan's fishing rights. |
| 24 -- |
The US House of Representatives endorses
a July 18 European Parliament resolution supporting ROC efforts to
participate in the international community. |
| Oct. 31 -- |
Former Polish President Lech Walesa
visits the ROC. |
| Nov. 20 -- |
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh visits
the ROC. |
| 27 -- |
South Africa announces it will switch
full diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing on January 1, 1998. |
| Dec. 2 -- |
Foreign Minister John Chang departs
for South Africa. |
| 6 -- |
The Legislature revises the Labor
Standards Law so that employees in nearly all industries will
be covered by the end of 1998. |
| 10 -- |
The cabinet-level Council of Aboriginal
Affairs is established. |
| -- |
The Taiwan Independence Party (TAIP),
a DPP splinter group, is established. |
| 23 -- |
The five-day National Development Conference
begins. Discussion focuses on three major topics: enhancing constitutional
system of government and multiparty politics; economic development;
and cross-strait relations. |
| 31 -- |
Taiwan Provincial Governor James Soong
submits his resignation to Premier Lien Chan. |
| 1997
|
|
| Jan. 7 -- |
Vice President and Premier Lien Chan
departs for Nicaragua to attend the January 10 inauguration of President
Arnoldo Aleman. |
| 14 -- |
Vice President and Premier Lien Chan
meets with Pope John Paul II and shares with him views on world peace
and humanitarian pursuits. |
| 16 -- |
Vice President and Premier Lien Chan
pays an academic visit to Ireland. |
| Feb. 23 -- |
The Legislative Yuan passes the amendment
to the fourth article of the February 28 Incident Disposition and
Compensation Act, stipulating that February 28, also named "Peace
Memorial Day," be a national holiday. |
| Mar 17 -- |
Former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs
of Staff General Colin L. Powell visits the ROC. |
| 22 -- |
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama
pays a six-day visit to the ROC. |
| Apr. 2 -- |
US House of Representatives Speaker
Newt Gingrich meets with President Lee Teng-hui during his four-hour
visit to the ROC, praising Taiwan's politi- cal progress and economic
achievement. |
| -- |
The Statute Governing Relations with
Hong Kong and Macau is promulgated by President Lee Teng-hui and
will go partially into effect on July 1 of this year for Hong Kong,
and 1999 for Macau. |
| May 5 -- |
The second session of the Third National
Assembly begins to amend the Constitution. The focus of the
session is to streamline the local government; reform the election
process for the president and members of the National Assembly; and
clarify the president's relations with the Executive Yuan and the
Legislature. |
| 6 -- |
The ROC establishes formal diplomatic
relations with the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome e Principe in western
Africa. |
| 18 -- |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs an-nounces
the ROC's decision to immediately terminate its diplomatic ties with
the Bahamas. |
| 31 -- |
The Legislative Yuan passes the third
reading of the Public Television Bill, which will enable the
public television station to begin broadcasting in 1998. |
| June 21 -- |
Koo Chen-fu, chairman of the Straits
Exchange Foundation, is invited by mainland's Association for Relations
Across the Taiwan Straits to attend the ceremony marking the transfer
of Hong Kong's sovereignty to the Chinese mainland on June 30. |
| July 1 -- |
The Mainland Affairs Council sets up
the Hong Kong Affairs Bureau to handle ties between Taipei and Hong
Kong after Hong Kong is reverted to the Chinese mainland. |
| 27 -- |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces
the closure of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office
in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. |
| Aug. 1 -- |
The Council of Grand Justice rules that
legislators who engage in violence during legislative sessions will
no longer be immune from arrest and prosecution. |
| 6 -- |
Nicaragua President Arnoldo Aleman Lacayo
arrives in Taipei for a five-day visit. |
| 10 -- |
The ROC and Costa Rica sign a media
cooperation agreement. |
| 12 -- |
The Republic of Chad resumes official
ties with the ROC after a 25-year hiatus. |
| 21 -- |
Vice President and Premier Lien Chan
heads the Cabinet and tenders resignation to the president. Legislator
Vincent C. Siew will succeed him to be the new premier of the ROC. |
| 26 -- |
President Lee Teng-hui is re-elected
chairman of the ruling Kuomintang with 93 percent of the votes cast
by over 2,000 party representatives of KMT's 15th National Congress. |
| 28 -- |
KMT's 15th Central Committee elects
17 members to the enlarged Central Standing Committee, along with
16 appointed by the chairman, immediately following conclusion of
National Congress. |
| Sep. 1 -- |
The ROC swears in a new Cabinet with
Vincent C. Siew as the premier. At a press conference after his inauguration,
Premier Siew vows to improve law and order, further develop the economy,
raise people's quality of life, and normalize cross-strait relations. |
| 4 -- |
President Lee Teng-hui leaves for Latin
America via the US to attend the World Congress on the Panama Canal
in Panama City, where he will meet with heads of state of ROC allies
including Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras. |
| Oct. 3 -- |
Swaziland King Mswati III visits the
ROC through October 5. During his trip to Taipei, the King and the
ROC President Lee Teng-hui will sign a joint communique to further
strengthen bilateral relations. |
| 5 -- |
Vice President Lien Chan embarks on
a 12-day visit to Iceland and Austria to strengthen ROC's substantive
ties with the two nations. |
| 9 -- |
Taiwan film Such a Life wins
the Best Picture Award at the 42nd Asia-Pacific Film Festival. |
| 15 -- |
Steven Chu, member of the ROC Academia
Sinica, wins the 1997 Nobel Prize for physics. |
| 26 -- |
Chad President Idriss Deby visits the
ROC through October 30. |
| Nov. 5 -- |
Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor,
accompanied by his wife and a 43-member delegation, arrives in Taipei
for a seven-day state visit. |
| 22 -- |
The ROC signs a letter of intent with
Hungary on cooperation in customs affairs. |
| 25 -- |
Koo Chen-fu, chairman of the Straits
Exchange Foundation, represents President Lee Teng-hui to attend the
APEC summit in Vancouver. |
| 26 -- |
Stricter regulations on firearms go
into effect as part of the ROC government's efforts to strengthen
and stabilize social order. |
| 29 -- |
In the election for county magistrates
and city mayors, the ruling KMT takes eight seats out of the 23 seats
at stake. The Democratic Progressive Party doubles its number of seats
from six of the last election to 12. The remaining three seats go
to the hands of independents. |
| Dec. 2 -- |
The Asian Wall Street Journal,
the first multinational newspaper to set up a printing site in Taipei,
launches printing operations. |
| 31 -- |
The ROC severs its official ties with
South Africa, thereby putting an end to diplomatic relations between
the two nations established in 1976. |
| 1998
|
|
| Jan. 1 -- |
Vice President Lien Chan and his wife
start a four-day private visit to Singapore. Discussions over financial
turmoil in the Asia-Pacific with high-ranking officials of the host
nation stand high on his agenda. |
| 12 -- |
Premier Vincent C. Siew arrives in Manila
for an unofficial visit. |
| 20 -- |
Premier Vincent C. Siew arrives in Jakarta,
where he is scheduled to meet with Indonesian President Suharto to
discuss over the possibility of establishing a financial cooperative
mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region. |
| 21 -- |
Bishop Shan Kuo-hsi of the Catholic
diocese in Kaohsiung is formally appointed one of only three cardinals
representing the world's Chinese communities by Pope John Paul II. |
| 24 -- |
The Republic of China elects local-level
county and city councilmen, and rural and urban township chiefs. The
ruling KMT wins a landslide victory. |
| 29 -- |
The ROC suspends relations with the
Central African Republic. |
| Feb 11 -- |
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar
Ibrahim pays a visit to the ROC as part of his government's drive
to seek cooperative measures to stabilize the region's troubled financial
sector. |
| 14 -- |
Foreign Minister Jason C. Hu launches
a 12-day visit to ROC allies in Africa including Senegal, Gambia,
Liberia, Burkina Faso, Chad and Sao Tome e Principe to cement ties
with these nations. |
| 24 -- |
Jordan University confers an honorary
doctorate upon Vice President Lien Chan. During his trip to Jordan,
Lien also meets with top officials of the host nation to strengthen
bilateral cooperative relations. |
| Mar. 4 -- |
On his way back to Taiwan from a trip
to Jordan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, Vice President Lien
Chan arrives in Kuala Lumpur for a four-day private visit. Lien is
scheduled to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and
his deputy Anwar Ibrahim to discuss possible cooperative measures
for tackling the current financial troubles in Asia. |
| Apr. 3 -- |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces
that President Lee Teng-hui has been nominated for the 1998 Nobel
Peace Prize. It is the second time in three years that President Lee
has been nominated for the honor. |
| 21 -- |
Haitian President Rene Garcia Preval
arrives in Taipei for a four-day state visit. He and President Lee
will sign a communique to strengthen bilateral friendship and cooperation. |
| 22 -- |
A delegation sent by the Straits Exchange
Foundation with its deputy secretary-general, Jan Jyh-horng, at the
head arrives in Beijing. Jan is scheduled to meet with his ARATS counterpart
and set agendas for the second round of Koo-Wang Talks slated to be
held in autumn. The visit marks the restoration of cross-strait consultation
and negotiation, which were unilaterally broken off by Beijing since
1995 following ROC President Lee Teng-hui's journey to the US to visit
his alma mater, Cornell University, in June of the same year. |
| 24 -- |
The ROC signs a memorandum of understanding
on customs cooperation with the Slovak Republic. |
| -- |
The ROC announces the severance of diplomatic
ties with Guinea-Bissau of western Africa. |
| 25 -- |
Premier Vincent C. Siew starts his three-day
visit to Kuala Lumpur to meet with high-ranking officials of the host
nation. How to further bolster bilateral ties and deal with the Asian
financial turmoil stand as the centerpiece of the meeting. |
| -- |
The president of the Central Bank of
China, Perng Fai-nan, leads a delegation to attend the 31st board
director meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Geneva. |
| May 5 -- |
Vice President Lien Chan, sent by President
Lee as a special envoy, leaves for Costa Rica to attend the inauguration
of President-elect Miguel Angel Rodriguez slated for May 8. Also included
in his itinerary is a three-day visit to Grenada and meetings with
heads of state of other Caribbean nations, which maintain diplomatic
ties with the ROC. |
| 11 -- |
The ROC armed forces conduct their annual
routine joint military exercise in the eastern Taiwan counties of
Hualien and Taitung. The drill, code-named "Han Kuang No. 14" will
serve as a review of the military's combat readiness and ability to
ensure national security. |
| 22 -- |
ROC President Lee Teng-hui and Nauru
President Kinza Clodumar sign a joint communique to reinforce bilateral
cooperation. The head of the Republic of Nauru and his entourage pay
a four-day visit to the ROC. |
| 31 -- |
Gyorgy Ujlaky, Hungary's newly appointed
representative to the ROC, arrives in Taipei to set up a trade office
in Taipei to promote bilateral exchanges. Following the Czech Republic
and Poland, Hungary will become the third central European country
to open a trade office in Taiwan. |
| June 1 -- |
Premier Vincent C. Siew presides over
the opening ceremony of the newly established Southern Taiwan Service
Center in Kaohsiung City. The center aims to guarantee efficient service
and decisive problem-solving for residents of the southern part of
Taiwan. |
| 15 -- |
Democratic Republic of Sao Tome e Principe
President Miguel A.C.L. Trovoada and his wife arrive in Taipei for
a five-day state visit. |
| July 2 -- |
Premier Vincent Siew embarks on a nine-day
Pacific trip to consolidate bilateral relation with ROC diplomatic
partners in the region. |
| 21 -- |
The opening of the Taiwan International
Mercantile Exchange is a milestone for Taiwan's financial sector. |
| Oct. 9 -- |
The Legislative Yuan passes the statute
to streamline the Taiwan Provincial Government, making the TPG a nonautonomous
body under the central government. |
| 13 -- |
Daniel C. Tsui, member of the ROC's
Academia Sinica, wins the 1997 Nobel Prize for physics. |
| 14 -- |
Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman
Koo Chen-fu arrives in Shanghai to meet with his ARATS counterpart
Wang Daohan. During his trip, Mr. Koo states that the conciliatory
spirit of agreements signed between the two sides in Singapore five
years ago will be restored. |
| Nov. 2 -- |
The ROC severs diplomatic ties with
Kingdom of Tonga. |
| 3 -- |
President Lee Teng-hui meets with former
German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt to exchange views on world economic
development. |
| 9 -- |
US Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson
arrives in Taiwan to attend the 22nd annual USA-ROC Economic Council. |
| 16 -- |
Pin-kung Chiang, chairman of the Council
for Economic Planning and Development, heads for Malaysia to attend
the APEC annual conference on behalf of President Lee Teng-hui. |
| 20 -- |
The ROC and the Marshall Islands sign
a joint communique to formalize diplomatic relations, as the Marshall
islands becomes the ROC's 27th diplomatic ally. |
| Dec. 5 -- |
Vice President Lien Chan leads a humanitarian
delegation of government officials and representatives from charity
and religious organizations on an 11-day visit to hurricane-stricken
allies including Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. |
| -- |
In the election for the Fourth Legislative
Yuan, the ruling KMT secures 123 of the 225 seats and the DPP garners
70 seats while the rest goes to the NP and other minority parties.
The KMT also triumphs in elections for Taipei mayor and councilmen
of Taipei and Kaohsiung cities, but it loses the mayoral election
in Kaohsiung City. |
| 21 -- |
Operations begin to streamline the provincial
government, a vital part of the efficiency-oriented master plan to
restructure the government in Taiwan. |
| 1999
|
|
| Jan. 9 --
|
Premier Vincent C. Siew heads for the
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Belize to consolidate relations in
the Caribbean. |
| 12 -- |
The Legislative Yuan unanimously abolishes
the Publication Law. |
| 26 -- |
The ROC launches ROCSAT-1, its first
wholly-owned and operated satellite, into orbit from Cape Canaveral,
Florida, USA, marking the ROC's entry into the era of advanced space
technology. |
| 27 -- |
The ROC and the Republic of Macedo nia
sign a joint communique to establish formal relations. Macedonia thus
becomes ROC's second diplomatic ally in Europe, after the Holy See. |
| Feb. 5 -- |
President Imata Kabua of the Marshall
Islands arrives in Taipei for a one-week visit. |
| Mar. 5 --
|
Foreign Minister Jason C. Hu signs a
memorandum with his Macedonian counterpart, Aleksandar Dimitrov, in
Skopje to promote bilateral economic cooperation. |
| 7 -- |
The President of the Assembly of Macedonia,
Savo Klimovski, arrives in Taipei for a six-day reciprocal visit. |
| 17 -- |
The Atomic Energy Council issues a permit
for Taiwan Power Company to construct the ROC's fourth nuclear power
plant. |
| 22 -- |
Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodriguez
arrives in Taipei for a six-day visit. |
| 29 -- |
Former US President Jimmy Carter visits
Taiwan at the invitation of a private think tank in Taipei. |
| Apr. 28 -- |
The Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia
commences operation with Verka Modanu as Macedonia's first resident
envoy to the ROC. |
| 30 -- |
Foreign Minister Jason C. Hu arrives
in the Marshall Islands for a three-day official visit to strengthen
bilateral ties in such areas as tourism, fisheries, and investment. |
| May 27 -- |
Premier Vincent C. Siew heads to the
Central Caribbean to attend the inauguration of El Salvador President
Francisco Flores. During his visit there, the premier meets with the
Presidents of Nicaragua and Panama. |
| June 4 -- |
The Legislative Yuan passes the third
reading of the Cigarette and Wine Management Law, revoking
the decades-old monopoly tax system. |
| 6 -- |
Macedonian President Ljubco Georgievski,
head of a 59-member delegation, arrives Taipei for a six-day official
visit. During his visit to the ROC, he signs agreements on economic
cooperation, investment guarantees, and prevention of the double taxation
of investors to strengthen relations with the ROC government. |
| 7 -- |
In an international press conference,
President Lee Teng-hui announces that the ROC will provide US$300
million Balkans aid package to ease the plight of Kosovo war refugees. |
| 16 -- |
The Legislature passes the third reading
of the amendments to the Public Lottery Act, ensuring the right
of lottery issuance by the central government. |
| 23 -- |
The ROC signs a press cooperation agreement
with Panama. |
| 24 -- |
The Domestic Violence Prevention
Law goes into effect. |
| July 9 -- |
In an interview with the German Broadcasting
company, Deutsche Welle, President Lee Teng-hui first announces the
concept that Taiwan and the Chinese mainland have a "special state-to-state
relationship." |
| -- |
To enhance bilateral economic and trade
ties, the ROC and Thailand sign pacts on aviation exchanges and avoidance
of double taxation. |
| 20 -- |
President Lee Teng-hui further elaborates
his recent remarks of the "special state-to-state relationship" between
the two sides of the Taiwan Strait by saying that he did not put forth
the statement to seek Taiwan independence but simply to reiterate
the fact that both sides are separately governed. |
| Aug. 1 -- |
Premier Vincent C. Siew, head of an
80-member delegation, departs for the Republic of Macedonia to enhance
bilateral relations. During his visit to the ROC's new diplomatic
ally in south Europe, the premier officiates at the groundbreaking
ceremony for the Taiwan-funded export processing zone near Macedonia's
capital city of Skopje. |
| 30 -- |
Premier Vincent C. Siew departs for
Panama to attend the September 1 inauguration of Panamanian President-elect
Mireya Moscoso. |
| Sep. 4 -- |
The Third National Assembly passes a
constitutional amendment which extends the current terms of the deputies
from May 2000 to June 2002, and includes the appointment of all deputies
on the basis of party proportional representation in the fourth Assembly. |
| 7 -- |
The second ROC-Central American summit
is held in Taipei. During the summit, President Lee signs a joint
communique with the leaders of seven Central American allies. |
| 9 -- |
Pin-kung Chiang, chairman of the Council
for Economic Planning and Development, participates in the APEC leadership
summit in Auckland, New Zealand as an envoy of President Lee Teng-hui. |
| 20 -- |
President Lee Teng-hui and Paraguayan
President Luis Angel Gonzalez Macchi sign a joint communique reaffirming
the two countries' commitment to stronger cooperative relations. The
11th Economic Cooperation Conference between the ROC and Paraguay
is also held in Taipei concurrent to Gonzalez's state visit. |
| 21 -- |
Taiwan is hit by its deadliest earthquake
in more than 60 years. The 7.3 magnitude quake claims more than 2,000
lives and injures over 8,000. |
| 25 -- |
President Lee issues an emergency decree
to cut through red tape and expedite reconstruction work in the wake
of Taiwan's devastating earthquake. The decree, which supersedes certain
existing laws, is effective for six months. |
| Oct. 1 -- |
The Civil Aeronautics Administration
announces the indefinite suspension of direct flights between Taipei
and Manila after a breakdown in negotiations on weekly passenger quotas. |
| 20 -- |
The ROC government extends its congratulations
to Indonesia's President-elect Abdurrahman Wahid. |
| 26 -- |
The Taipei-based China External Trade
Development Council opens a branch office in Bombay, India. The new
office will play an extensive role in promoting the ROC's trade with
India. |
| Nov. 6 -- |
Independent candidate Chang Jung-wei
wins the by-election for county magistrate in Yunlin County, beating
rivals from the ruling Kuomintang and the main opposition Democratic
Progressive Party. |
| 7 -- |
Darkness and Light, a film by
Taiwan director Chang Tso-chi, is awarded the prize for best picture
at the 12th Tokyo International Film Festival. |
| 13 -- |
Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara arrives
in Taiwan for a three-day visit at the invitation of President Lee
Teng-hui. Ishihara has been the highest-profile Japanese official
to visit Taiwan since the two countries cut diplomatic relations in
1972. |
| 14 -- |
Michael Campbell of New Zealand wins
the 1999 Johnnie Walker Classic, held at the Ta Shee Golf and Country
Club in northern Taiwan. |
| 17 -- |
The decision-making Central Standing
Committee of the ruling Kuomintang approves a disciplinary committee
proposal to oust independent presidential candidate James Soong from
the KMT. |
| 20 -- |
President Lee greets visiting Nauru
President Rene Harris and his wife in Taipei. |
| 26 -- |
Rene Liu of Taiwan wins the best actress
award at the 1999 Asia-Pacific Film Festival, held in Bangkok, for
her performance in The Personals. |
| Dec. 1 -- |
President Lee presides over a welcoming
ceremony for Malawi President Bakili Muluzi in Taipei. |
| -- |
The ROC Ministry of Finance launches
the National Welfare Lottery. |
| 10 -- |
Chen Shui-bian, presidential candidate
of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party, announces Taoyuan
County Magistrate Lu Hsiu-lien as his running mate for the March 2000
election. |
| 16 -- |
The ROC is named a permanent observer
of the Central American Parliament Speakers Forum at the ninth meeting
of the CAPSF in Panama. |
| 20 -- |
ROC President Lee Teng-hui receives
US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi in Taipei. |
| 28 -- |
The ROC renames its representative office
in Macau the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center. |
| 30 -- |
The ROC establishes formal diplomatic
relations with Palau. |
| 2000
|
|
| Jan. 17 -- |
President Lee Teng-hui receives a US
congressional delegation headed by Representative Matt Salmon. |
| 24 -- |
Chen Wu-hsiung, vice chairman of the
ROC Council of Agriculture, is elected vice chairman of the Asian-African
Rural Reconstruction Organization. The AARRO is one of the few international
organizations in which the ROC has participated in an official capacity. |
| Feb. 20 -- |
A three-day joint conference of the
Liberal International Congress and the Council of Asian Liberals and
Democrats concludes in Taipei. |
| 25 -- |
President Lee Teng-hui and Liberian
President Charles Ghankay Taylor sign a joint communique in Taipei
to enhance bilateral cooperation. |
| 29 -- |
ROC Foreign Minister Chen Chien-jen
and his Macedonian counterpart Aleksandar Dimitrov issue a joint statement
in Taipei. The two sides have agreed to expedite the project to construct
the Skopje Free Economic Zone in Macedonia and also to waive visa
requirements for holders of diplomatic and official passports. |
| Mar. 7 -- |
ROC Foreign Minister Chen Chien-jen
and Palau Minister of State Sabino Anastacio sign a joint declaration
in the South Pacific nation's capital, Koror, to strengthen bilateral
cooperation. |
| 9 -- |
Lung Ying-tai, director of the Bureau
of Cultural Affairs under the Taipei City Government, delivers a speech
in Sweden on Taiwan's future, the first public talk by an official
from the ROC in the Scandinavian country. |
| 18 -- |
Democratic Progressive Party candidate
Chen Shui-bian and his running mate Lu Hsiu-lien are elected president
and vice president of the Republic of China, ending the KMT's more
than 50-year hold on the presidency in Taiwan. |
| 23 -- |
US envoy Lee Hamilton meets with President-elect
Chen Shui-bian to exchange views on future relations between Taiwan
and the United States. |
| 27 -- |
Canadian Nobel laureate in economics
Robert Mundell meets with ROC President Lee Teng-hui in Taipei. |
| 31 -- |
James Soong, the former Taiwan governor
and Kuomintang maverick who lost his independent presidential bid,
formally establishes the People First Party with himself as its chairman. |
| Apr. 5 -- |
An international symposium on biodiversity
is held in Taipei to discuss issues ranging from the latest developments
in biodiversity research to key conservation efforts. |
| 10 -- |
President Lee Teng-hui confers the Order
of Brilliant Star With Grand Cordon upon David Dean, former Taipei
director of the American Institute in Taiwan, in recognition of the
diplomat's contribution to US-ROC relations. |
| 24 -- |
The Third National Assembly approves
a landmark amendment to drastically reduce its powers and functions.
The Assembly will lose its status as a standing body and will convene
only when proposals of impeachment, constitutional amendment and national
boundary changes are initiated by the Legislature. |
| May 20 -- |
Chen Shui-bian and Lu Hsiu-lien are
sworn in as the ROC's tenth-term president and vice president, respectively,
and Tang Fei takes office as the new premier. |
| 21 -- |
Taiwanese director Edward Yang wins
a Golden Palm Award for best director at the Cannes Film Festival
for A One and A Two. |
| June 9 -- |
The 2000 Asia-Pacific Cultural Summit,
sponsored by the Taipei City Government's Bureau of Cultural Affairs,
begins a three-day conference in Taipei with the participation of
mayors, officials, and delegates from 26 cities in the Asia-Pacific
region. |
| 11 -- |
The 2000 World Congress of Information
Technology, with more than 1,700 business leaders and executives from
82 countries participating, opens for a three-day run at the Taipei
International Convention Center. |
| 14 -- |
US Secretary of Transportation Rodney
Slater arrives in Taipei to attend the 24th joint conference of the
ROC-US and US-ROC Business Councils. |
| 23 -- |
Taiwan democracy pioneers and former
Democratic Progressive Party Chairmen Shih Ming-te and Hsu Hsin-liang
leave for Warsaw to attend the World Democracy Forum. |
| 25 -- |
The Democratic Progressive Party elects
Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Chang-ting Hsieh as its new chairman. |
| July 1 -- |
Panamanian President Mireya Elisa Moscoso
Rodriguez arrives in Taipei for a five-day state visit. |
| 25 -- |
Vice Premier Yu Shyi-kun resigns to
take responsibility for failed rescue efforts that resulted in the
deaths of four workers in a flash flood in Chiayi, southern Taiwan. |
| Aug. 1 -- |
Chang Chun-hsiung of the Democratic
Progressive Party succeeds Yu Shyi-kun as vice premier of the ROC. |
| 13 -- |
President Chen Shui-bian leaves for
Los Angeles to conduct his first state visits to the ROC's diplomatic
allies since assuming office on May 20. The 13-day journey takes Chen
to the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua and
Costa Rica in Central America, as well as three African countries--the
Gambia, Burkina Faso and Chad. |
| 28 -- |
Master Sheng Yen, the founder of Taiwan's
Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Foundation, attends the Millennium World
Peace Summit of Religious Leaders held in New York. |
| Sep. 1 -- |
The ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs
announces that three representative offices in Congo, Angola and Madagascar
are closed because they no longer serve their diplomatic function. |
| 5 -- |
The Fourth East Asian Women's Forum
opens in Taipei with a focus on the "new era and modern women." |
| 18 -- |
ROC weightlifter Li Feng-ying wins the
silver medal in the women's 53-kilogram category at the 2000 Olympic
Games in Sydney, Australia. |
| 22 -- |
ROC Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien makes
her first official foreign journey since taking office on May 20.
Lu's four-state goodwill visit takes her to El Salvador, Honduras,
Belize, and Guatemala. |
| 23 -- |
Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan
Yew arrives in Taipei for a four-day private visit. |
| Oct. 3 -- |
Premier Tang Fei resigns and is succeeded
by Vice Premier Chang Chun-hsiung. |
| 15 -- |
Former ROC President Lee Teng-hui attends
the Forum 2000 conference in Prague. |
| 27 -- |
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung announces
that the Executive Yuan is cancelling the partly built Fourth Nuclear
Power Plant. |
| 30 -- |
Defense Minister Wu Shih-wen signs a
memorandum on military cooperation with his Macedonian counterpart
Ljuben Paunoski in Taipei. |
| Nov. 13
-- |
The 11th Forum of Legislative Presidents
of Central America takes place in Taipei. |
| 15 -- |
ROC Central Bank of China Governor Perng
Fai-nan attends the APEC leaders summit in Brunei on behalf of President
Chen Shui-bian. |
| 17 -- |
Lai Ying-li wins the gold medal in the
women's heavyweight category at the Third World Youth Tae Kwon Do
Championship, held in Ireland. |
| 23 -- |
Kuomintang Vice Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung
meets mainland Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen in Beijing. |
| 28 -- |
The 12th meeting of the East Asia Agricultural
Organization Council is held in Taichung County, central Taiwan. |
| Dec. 9 -- |
President Chen signs a joint communique
in Taipei with his El Salvadorian counterpart, Francisco Guillermo
Flores Perez. |
| 10 -- |
Twenty-one prisoners, including 19 conscientious
objectors, are released under an amnesty decree issued by President
Chen Shui-bian. |
| -- |
Taiwan director Chang Chih-yung wins
the Best Director Award at the 2000 Asia Pacific Film Festival for
his film Lament of the Sand River. |
| 2001 |
|
| Jan. 1 -- |
The "Three Mini Links" (direct trade,
postal, and transportation) between Taiwan's two frontline islands
of Kinmen and Matsu and mainland China's Xiamen and Fuzhou harbors
in Fujian Province are put into practice. |
| 8 -- |
President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia
arrives in Taipei for a six-day visit. |
| 10 -- |
President Chen meets with a US House
of Representatives delegation headed by Eva Clayton and Danny Davis. |
| 15 -- |
The Council of Grand Justices rules
that the Cabinet's controversial decision to halt work on the Fourth
Nuclear Power Plant has "procedural errors," but refrains from declaring
the action unconstitutional. |
| Feb. 6 -- |
President Chen meets mainland Chinese-born
Nobel literature laureate Gao Xingjian in Taipei. |
| 11 -- |
Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou arrives
in Hong Kong for a four-day visit aimed at promoting city-to-city
exchanges. |
| 14 -- |
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung makes an official
announcement to resume the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power
Plant. |
| 18 -- |
Betelnut Beauty, a film by Taiwan
director Lin Cheng-sheng, wins a Silver Bear Award at the 51st Berlin
Film Festival. |
| 25 -- |
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,
directed by Taiwan-born director Ang Lee, wins four British Academy
Awards. The martial arts film wins best director, best foreign-language
picture, best soundtrack and best costume. |
| Mar. 15 -- |
Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore
arrives in Taipei for a six-day visit. |
| 24 -- |
Dominican Republic President Hipolito
Mejia arrives in Taipei for a five-day visit. |
| 26 -- |
The film Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon wins four Oscar awards at the 73rd Annual Academy Awards:
best foreign-language film, best art direction, best cinematography,
and best original score. |
| 29 -- |
Liberian President Charles Taylor arrives
in Taipei for a weeklong visit. |
| 30 -- |
The Association of World Citizens, a
non-governmental organization, holds its 11th World Citizen Congress
in Taipei between March 30 and April 3. |
| 31 -- |
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama
arrives in Taipei for a ten-day visit at the invitation of the Buddhist
Association of the ROC. |
| Apr. 14 -- |
President Chen Shui-bian receives a
four-member US Senate delegation led by Senator Phil Gramm. |
| 22 -- |
Former President Lee Teng-hui arrives
in Japan for medical treatment. |
| May 15 -- |
ROC Council for Economic Planning and
Development Chairman Chen Po-chih meets mainland Chinese President
Jiang Zemin during a ministerial meeting on human resources at the
APEC forum in Beijing. |
| 16 -- |
President Chen Shui-bian receives St.
Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. |
| 21 -- |
President Chen Shui-bian leaves for
a 16-day, five-leg diplomatic journey to Latin America with transit
stops in New York and Houston. |
| June 18 -- |
The ROC severs diplomatic relations
with Macedonia. |
| July 2 -- |
President Chen Shui-bian decorates visiting
Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade with the Order of Brilliant Jade
in recognition of his efforts to strengthen relations between the
two countries. |
| 9 -- |
Premier Vance W. Amory of St. Christopher
and Nevis arrives in the Republic of China for a weeklong visit. |
| 15 -- |
Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman
arrives in Taipei for a four-day visit. |
| 26 -- |
President Chen receives former South
Korean President Kim Young Sam in Taipei. |
| Aug. 14 -- |
Five winners of the Nobel Peace Prize
and representatives from several non-governmental organizations gather
in Taipei for the 2001 Global Peace Assembly. |
| 29 -- |
President Chen receives US House Majority
Whip Tom Delay in Taipei. |
| Sept. 1 -- |
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung embarks on
his first diplomatic trip to visit Taiwan's four diplomatic allies
in the East Caribbean--St. Christopher and Nevis, the Commonwealth
of Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. |
| Nov. 6 -- |
President Chen opens the 34th Baseball
World Cup in Taipei, with 16 participating teams from around the world. |
| 11 -- |
The World Trade Organization approves
Taiwan's entry at its fourth ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar. |
| 14 -- |
First Lady Wu Shu-chen of the ROC receives
the "2001 Prize for Freedom" in France bestowed on President Chen
Shui-bian by the London-based Liberal International. |
| Dec. 1 -- |
In the election for the Fifth Legislative
Yuan, the DPP wins 87 seats of the 225 seats available, the KMT 68
seats, the PFP 46 seats, and the TSU 13 seats, while the rest go to
minority parties and independents. In the election for county mag
istrates and city mayors, the DPP and the KMT each take nine seats
out of the 23 seats available, the PFP wins two seats, the NP wins
one seat, and the remaining two seats go to independents. |
| 9 -- |
Vice President Lu receives the World
Peace Prize in Taipei for her work in promoting women's and human
rights, democracy, and world peace. |
| 10 -- |
Sao Tome e Principe President Fradique
Banderira Melo de Menezes arrives in Taipei for a five-day visit. |
| 19 -- |
Vice President Lu departs for The Gambia
to attend the inauguration of re-elected Gambian President Yahya Jammeh. |
