Lee Ming-liang

Lee Ming-liang (Chinese: 李明亮; pinyin: Lǐ Míngliàng; born 26 June 1936) is a Taiwanese geneticist who led the Department of Health from 2000 to 2002. After Lee left office, Taiwan was hit by the 2003 SARS outbreak, and he was named to a committee convened to research the disease.

Lee Ming-liang
李明亮
Minister of Department of Health of the Republic of China
In office
20 May 2000 – 31 August 2002
Preceded bySteve Chan
Succeeded byTwu Shiing-jer
Personal details
Born (1936-06-26) 26 June 1936
Kizin, Niitoyo, Tainan Prefecture, Taiwan, Empire of Japan (today Gueiren, Tainan, Taiwan)
NationalityTaiwanese
Political partyIndependent
Alma materNational Taiwan University
University of Rochester
OccupationGeneticist

Academic career

Lee studied medicine at National Taiwan University, and later attended the University of Rochester in the United States. With the exception of two years spent researching and teaching at the University of Cambridge in England, Lee worked in New York until his return to Taiwan in 1992. Two years later, Cheng Yen established Tzu Chi University and named Lee president.[1][2]

Political career

Lee was appointed Director-General of the Department of Health in April 2000 and took office on 20 May.[1] He launched a committee tasked with improving Taiwan's National Health Insurance, which was in severe debt at the time.[3][4] Soon after Lee assumed his post, an outbreak of enterovirus 71 affected seven counties, during which Lee promoted hand hygiene.[5][6] In June 2000, the Tobacco Hazards Act was revised. Lee promised proper enforcement of the new standards, including members of the Executive Yuan who smoked.[7] In November, the Department of Health approved orlistat, and it became the first diet drug made without phenylpropanolamine to be marketed in Taiwan.[8] The next month, a ban on mifepristone was lifted.[9] During Lee's tenure, microchip health insurance cards were developed and distributed.[10][11]

While he led the Department of Health, Lee worked to expand Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization. In October 2000, Lee submitted a written protest to the agency for leaving Taiwan off a list of polio-free countries, stating that Taiwan should be listed separately from China, which had not yet succeeded in eradicating the disease.[12] Following support from US Representative Sherrod Brown,[13] Lee traveled to Geneva in April 2001 to petition for a larger Taiwanese presence at the World Health Assembly.[14] Though publicly confident, Lee personally admitted that chances of Taiwan securing observer status were "minuscule" and the bid was unsuccessful, as it was never placed on the agenda for discussion.[15][16] The government of the Republic of China announced its intention to donate US$1 million to a WHO health fund under the name Taiwan in April 2002.[17][18] That year the United States again supported Taiwan's bid for WHA observer status.[19][20] Though United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson promised to support Taiwan prior to the 2002 World Health Assembly,[21] it was difficult for him to meet Lee during the assembly itself.[22] Lee again stated that it was unlikely for Taiwan to gain observer status in the WHO;[23] though the government applied as a "health entity," it did so under the name Taiwan.[24] Subsequently, Taiwan's sixth overall attempt to join the WHO was denied.[25][26]

Lee, who had first expressed his desire to resign his position in February 2002, did so on 31 August for health reasons.[27][28]

Later career

After leaving the Department of Health, Lee continued efforts to admit Taiwan as a World Health Assembly observer.[29] He also directed a government task force on SARS.[30][31] In 2012, Lee met with Central Tibetan Administration health minister Tsering Wangchuk.[32] He supported the Democratic Progressive Party ticket during the presidential election of 2016.[33] Lee signed a petition in April 2019 calling for William Lai and Tsai Ing-wen, contestants in the 2019 Democratic Progressive Party presidential primary, to join forces and form the party's ticket for the 2020 presidential election.[34][35] Following the formation of a Tsai–Lai ticket, Lee signed a second petition backing the Democratic Progressive Party in the 2020 election.[36]

References
  1. Jou, Ying-Cheng (30 April 2000). "Tang Fei returns to the political fray". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  2. "Correspondents defy Beijing to hear SARS brief". Taipei Times. 8 August 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  3. Liu, Shao-hua (13 May 2000). "New health chief ready to tackle insurance woes". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  4. "Insurance bureau aiming to escape mountain of debt". Taipei Times. 1 June 2000. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  5. Chiu, Yu-Tzu (1 June 2000). "Enterovirus breaks out in seven counties". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  6. Lin, Shao-hua (6 June 2000). "Health department sings new tune to beat enterovirus". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  7. "Health department chief lashes out at Cabinet smokers". Taipei Times. 16 June 2000. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  8. Liu, Shao-hua (9 November 2000). "Drug hazard alarm raised". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  9. "RU-486 approved for controlled sales". Taipei Times. 29 December 2000. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  10. Chuang, Chi-ting (12 November 2001). "Paperless health-cards unveiled". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  11. Chang, Yu-jung (27 July 2002). "Insurance bureau issues first IC card to president". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  12. Liu, Shao-hua (31 October 2000). "Health officials plan to protest WHO oversight". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  13. Tsao, Nadia (1 February 2001). "Proposed US bill lifts WHO hopes". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  14. "Taiwan WHO entry lobbyhard [sic] at work in Geneva". Taipei Times. 14 May 2001. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  15. Chuang, Chi-ting (11 May 2001). "Chance of success slight, says DOH". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  16. Chu, Monique (15 May 2001). "WHO turns its back on Taiwan". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  17. "Taiwan to donate US$1m to new global health fund". Taipei Times. 6 April 2002. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  18. Chu, Monique (16 May 2002). "Taiwan expects to give US$1m to WHO fund". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  19. Chu, Monique (15 May 2002). "US expresses support for observer bid". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  20. "US House endorses Taiwan's WHO bid". Taipei Times. 20 April 2002. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  21. "US official to help WTO bid". Taipei Times. 19 April 2002. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  22. Chu, Monique (13 May 2002). "Officials race against clock in bid effort". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  23. Ko, Shu-ling (5 May 2002). "Chen makes a last push for WHO seat". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  24. Chu, Monique (7 May 2002). "Taiwan to use own name in upcoming WHA bid". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  25. Chu, Monique (15 May 2002). "Friends, no votes at WHA". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  26. Chu, Monique (14 May 2002). "No place for Taiwan on WHO agenda". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  27. Chang, Yu-jung (26 August 2002). "Lee's deputy favorite to head DOH". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  28. Ko, Shu-ling (31 August 2002). "Twu Shiing-jer takes over the health department's top job, but not the title". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  29. Chen, Melody (13 May 2003). "Taiwan preparing for bid to join WHA as observer". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  30. Chen, Melody (6 July 2003). "WHO takes Taiwan off SARS list". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  31. "SARS-czar Lee Ming-liang speaks in the US". Taipei Times. 4 August 2003. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  32. Cole, J. Michael; Lee, I-chia (17 April 2012). "Tibetan health chief met Chiu". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  33. Loa, Iok-sin (1 January 2016). "Academics back Tsai and Chen". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  34. Wang, Flor; Wen, Kui-hsiang (25 April 2019). "Academics, civic groups call for Tsai-Lai presidential ticket". Central News Agency. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  35. Wen, Kui-hsiang; Yeh, Su-ping; Wang, Flor; Chung, Yu-chen (29 April 2019). "Petition calling for Tsai-Lai presidential ticket gathers momentum". Central News Agency. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  36. Ku, Chuan; Yeh, Joseph (25 November 2019). "More than 1,000 academics endorse President Tsai's re-election bid". Central News Agency. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
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