2008 in Taiwan

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

← 2007 2006 2005 2008 in Taiwan → 2009 2010 2011
Decades:	1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2008 History of Taiwan  • Timeline  • Years

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]