2008 in Taiwan

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See also:	Other events of 2008 History of Taiwan  • Timeline  • Years

The following events occurred in Taiwan in the year 2008. This year is numbered Minguo 97 according to the official Republic of China calendar.

Incumbents

• President – Chen Shui-bian, Ma Ying-jeou
• Vice President – Annette Lu, Vincent Siew
• Premier – Chang Chun-hsiung, Liu Chao-shiuan
• Vice Premier – Chiou I-jen, Chang Chun-hsiung, Paul Chiu

Events

January

• 12 January – 2008 Republic of China transitional justice referendums.
• 16 January – The promulgation of Partial Article Revision on Petroleum Administration Act.

February

• 1 February – The renaming of National College of Physical Education and Sports to National Taiwan Sport University.

March

• 9 March – The launching of the first line (Red Line) of Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit in Kaohsiung.
• 22 March – Ma Ying-jeou is elected President of the Republic of China with more than 58% of the votes in the 2008 presidential election, handing the presidency back to the Kuomintang (KMT) after eight years under the Democratic Progressive Party. ^[1]
• 22 March – 2008 Taiwanese United Nations membership referendum.

May

• 18 May – 2008 Democratic Progressive Party chairmanship election.

June

• 23–27 June – Computer-simulated war gaming of Han Kuang Exercise. ^[2]

July

• 1 July – The opening of Taipei Medical University Shuang-Ho Hospital in Zhonghe Township, Taipei County.
• 4 July – The first direct China-Taiwan flights begin in nearly 6 decades. ^{[3] [4] [5]}
• 26 July – The closing of Chinese Culture and Movie Center in Taipei.

August

• 18 August – The opening of Museum of Jade Art in Zhongshan District, Taipei.

September

• 14 September – The launching of the second line of Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit in Kaohsiung City.
• 22–26 September – Field training exercises of Han Kuang Exercise. ^[2]

October

• 7 October – The opening of Evergreen Maritime Museum in Zhongzheng District, Taipei. ^[6]
• 9–12 October – The 3rd Taiwan Youth Day.
• 25 October – The 1025 rally to safeguard Taiwan is held in Taipei by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party to voice dissatisfaction with Taiwan's increasingly closer ties with Beijing.

November

• 3–7 November – Second Chen-Chiang summit, the first visit of Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits head to Taiwan. ^[7]
• 22–23 November – Lien Chen meets PRC President Hu Jintao at the APEC Peru 2008 in Peru, the highest level of official exchange between the Mainland and Taiwan on the international stage. ^[8]
• 24 November – The establishment of Fangyuan Museum of Arts in Jiangjun Township, Tainan County.

December

• 15 December – Full restoration of Three Links with Mainland China.

Deaths

• 14 January – Wu Jin, 74, Taiwanese Minister for Education (1996–1998), cancer. ^[9]
• 29 April – Bo Yang, 88, Taiwanese writer. ^[10]
• 10 May – Liao Feng-teh, 57, Taiwanese incoming interior minister, heart attack. ^[11]
• 14 June – Chu Fu-Sung, 93, Taiwanese foreign minister (1979–1987). ^[12]
• 4 July – Wayne Pai, 55, Taiwanese businessman, founding chairman of Polaris Group, suicide. ^[13]
• 12 July – Tsai Chao-yang, 67, Taiwanese politician, minister of Transportation and Communications, pneumonia. ^[14]
• 9 August – Vivian Shun-wen Wu, 95, Taiwanese entrepreneur, chairwoman of Yulon Motor, heart failure. ^[15]
• 20 August – Chao Yao-dong, 92, Taiwanese minister of economic affairs, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. ^[16]
• 15 October – Wang Yung-ching, 91, Taiwanese entrepreneur and billionaire, founder of Formosa Plastics. ^[17]
• 28 October – Kung Te-cheng, 88, Chinese-born Taiwanese 77th generation descendant of Confucius, heart and respiratory failure. ^[18]
• 11 December – Yeh Shih-tao, 83, Taiwanese writer, colorectal cancer. ^[19]

References

1. "Ma Wins Taiwan Presidency on Vow to Smooth China Ties (Update3)". bloomberg.com.
2. "Operational Changes in Taiwan's Han Kuang Military Exercises 2008-2010". The Jamestown Foundation.
3. "Historic China-Taiwan flights begin". CNN. July 4, 2008.
4. "Direct China-Taiwan flights begin". BBC News. July 4, 2008.
5. Branigan, Tania (July 5, 2008). "China resumes direct flights to Taiwan after 60 years". The Guardian. London.
6. "Evergreen Maritime Museum open after years of planning". taipeitimes.com. 7 October 2008.
7. Sina "Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou meets ARATS chief" Retrieved on November 9, 2008.
8. "News Archive: Top Stories". News.morningstar.com. Retrieved January 23, 2012.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
9. "Former Education Minister Wu Jin dies at 74". The China Post. January 16, 2008. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
10. "BBC 中文网 | 港台消息 | 台湾著名作家柏杨因病逝世". BBC News. April 29, 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
11. "Taiwan's incoming interior minister dead (Roundup)". Monsters and Critics. May 10, 2008. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
12. "June 2008". Rulers.org. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
13. "Taiwan regulator vows to aid Polaris after death of company chairman | Taiwan News | 2008-07-07 00:00:00".
14. "自由電子報 – 高鐵推手 蔡兆陽病逝". Libertytimes.com.tw. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
15. "Motor sector 'Iron Lady' Wu passes on at age 95". Taipei Times. January 16, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
16. "最新焦點｜中時電子報". News.chinatimes.com. January 1, 1980. Archived from the original on 2008-08-26. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
17. Young, Doug (October 15, 2008). "UPDATE 1-Taiwan's 3rd richest man, petrochem giant, dies". Reuters. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
18. "Confucius' 77th main-line descendant dies in Taiwan_English_Xinhua". News.xinhuanet.com. October 28, 2008. Archived from the original on January 12, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
19. "Search – Global Edition – The New York Times". International Herald Tribune. March 29, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2012.