2008 in Taiwan

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 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 after eight years under the Democratic Progressive Party.
• 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.

  July

• 4 July – The first direct China-Taiwan flights begin in nearly 6 decades.
• 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.

  October

• 7 October – The opening of Evergreen Maritime Museum in Zhongzheng District, Taipei.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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, cancer.
• 29 April – Bo Yang, 88, Taiwanese writer.
• 10 May – Liao Feng-teh, 57, Taiwanese incoming Interior Minister, heart attack.
• 14 June – Chu Fu-Sung, 93, Taiwanese foreign minister.
• 4 July – Wayne Pai, 55, Taiwanese businessman, founding chairman of Polaris Group, suicide.
• 12 July – Tsai Chao-yang, 67, Taiwanese politician, minister of Transportation and Communications, pneumonia.
• 9 August – Vivian Shun-wen Wu, 95, Taiwanese entrepreneur, chairwoman of Yulon Motor, heart failure.
• 20 August – Chao Yao-dong, 92, Taiwanese minister of economic affairs, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.
• 15 October – Wang Yung-ching, 91, Taiwanese entrepreneur and billionaire, founder of Formosa Plastics.
• 28 October – Kung Te-cheng, 88, Chinese-born Taiwanese 77th generation descendant of Confucius, heart and respiratory failure.
• 11 December – Yeh Shih-tao, 83, Taiwanese writer, colorectal cancer.