Taipei, Nov. 7 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian lauded the late President Yen Chia-kan Sunday as an architect of Taiwan's economic miracle.
Chen made the commendation at a ceremony marking Yen's centennial birth anniversary. "Yen was an architect of Taiwan's miraculous economic takeoff and he had laid a foundation for Taiwan's democratic development," Chen said.
The president further said two special things about Yen were worth mentioning. One was that Yen had never presided over any military meeting during his stints as the Republic of China's vice president and president. "In terms of archives available to me, during Yen's tenure as vice president between 1972 and 1975, then-Premier Chiang Ching-kuo would chair weekly military meetings whenever his father then-President Chiang Kai-shek was unable to do so due for health reasons," Chen said.
During Yen's presidency from 1975 and 1978, Chen said, then-Premier Chiang Ching-kuo continued to preside over military meetings.
Another thing was that Yen was the first ROC president to be buried in line with the nation's state funeral regulations, Chen said, adding that the funerals of late President Chiang Kai-shek and late President Chiang Ching-kuo whose presidency ran from 1978 through his death in 1988 were both handled by then-ruling party Kuomintang.
Chen said Yen's state funeral was handled in a simple yet graceful manner. The nation flag flew at half-mast only on the funeral day, not for 30 days as the practice adopted after the two Chiang's deaths.
Yen once served as economics minister, finance minister, premier, vice president and president throughout his political career. "He had contributed much to Taiwan's transformation from an agricultural backwater to an industrial powerhouse," Chen said, adding that his self-effacing and unassuming character is equally worth respect and praise.
Chen's administration has organized a series of commemorative activities to mark Yen's centenary, including the issue of commemorative postage stamps and an exhibition of Yen-related documents and artifacts at the Presidential Office's art gallery.
Sunday's commemorative ceremony was held at Yen's previous residence which is only a block away from Chen's present official residence.
During the ceremony, Yen's fourth son Yen Chun-tai presented a silver badge left by his father to Chen in appreciation of Chen's respect for the late president.
The badge was presented by the United Nations' secretary-general in 1970 when Yen attended the U.N.'s 25th founding anniversary.