Yen Chia-kan

Yen Chia-kan (Chinese: 嚴家淦; pinyin: Yán Jiāgàn; Wade–Giles: Yen² Chia¹-kan⁴; 23 October 1905 – 24 December 1993), also known as C. K. Yen, was a Kuomintang politician. He succeeded Chiang Kai-shek as President of the Republic of China on 5 April 1975,[1], being sworn in on 6 April 1975,[2] and served out the remainder of Chiang's term until 20 May 1978.

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Yen.

C. K. Yen Yen Chia-kan
嚴家淦
President of the Republic of China
In office 5 April 1975 – 20 May 1978
Vice President	None
Preceded by	Chiang Kai-shek
Succeeded by	Chiang Ching-kuo
Vice President of the Republic of China
In office 20 May 1966 – 5 April 1975
President	Chiang Kai-shek
Preceded by	Chen Cheng
Succeeded by	Hsieh Tung-min
Premier of the Republic of China
In office 16 December 1963 – 29 May 1972
President	Chiang Kai-shek
Vice Premier	Yu Ching-tang Huang Shao-ku Chiang Ching-kuo
Preceded by	Chen Cheng
Succeeded by	Chiang Ching-kuo
Other positions Minister of Finance of the Republic of China In office 19 March 1958 - 14 December 1963 Preceded by P. Y. Shu Succeeded by Chen Ching-yu In office 12 March 1950 - 26 May 1954 Preceded by Kuan Chi-yu Succeeded by P. Y. Shu Chairman of Taiwan Province In office 7 June 1954 – 16 August 1957 Preceded by Yu Hung-chun Succeeded by Chow Chih-jou Minister of Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen of the Republic of China In office 1 November 1954 – 24 April 1956 Ambassador to Tunisia In office 1 June 1981-1 December 1981 Member of Parliament for Taipei In office 1950-1992
Personal details
Born	23 October 1905 Suzhou, Jiangsu, Qing Dynasty
Died	24 December 1993(1993-12-24) (aged 88) Taipei, Taiwan
Resting place	Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery
Nationality	Republic of China
Political party	Kuomintang
Spouse(s)	Liu Chi-chun

Yen Chia-kan
Traditional Chinese	嚴家淦
Simplified Chinese	严家淦
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yán Jiāgàn Wade–Giles Yen2 Chia1-kan4 Wu Romanization nyie cia/ka koe Southern Min Hokkien POJ Giâm Ka-kàm

Early life

He was born in Wu County, Suzhou, Jiangsu province in 1905. He came of a prestigious Suzhou family, the Yan (Yen) Family of Dongshan (東山嚴氏).[3] He graduated from Saint John's University in Shanghai with a degree in chemistry in 1926.

Political career

In 1931, Yen began serving as a manager of the Shanghai railway administration.[4] Yen started to work as director of the finance department of Fujian Provincial Government in August 1939. During his term, he initiated a policy of land tax payment for farmers with their agricultural produce. This policy was then adopted nationwide across China and contributed significantly for the nation food supply during World War II.[5]

Yen previously served as Minister of Economic Affairs, minister of finance, and Governor of Taiwan Province. He became premier on 16 December 1963.[6][7]

In 1966 the National Assembly elected Yen as Vice President and re-elected him in 1972. On the afternoon of January 5, 1973, Yen visited Washington, D.C. and met with US President Richard Nixon.[8] Yen became the second President following the death of Chiang Kai-shek and was later succeeded by Chiang's son, Premier Chiang Ching-kuo. After his presidency, Yen served as chairman of the Council on Chinese Cultural Renaissance and chairman of the board of the National Palace Museum until 1991.

Death

Yen died in Taipei City at the age of 88. He was buried at the Wuchih Mountain Military Cemetery in New Taipei City.

See also

• History of the Republic of China
• Politics of the Republic of China

References

1. 第5任 嚴總統家淦先生. 中華民國總統府 Office of the President Republic of China (Taiwan) (in Chinese). Retrieved 29 September 2019. 64年04月05日 蔣中正總統逝世，依憲法規定繼任第五任總統。
2. "Chiang Kai-shek (1st - 5th terms)". Office of the President Republic of China (Taiwan). Retrieved 29 September 2019. 1975-04-06 Sworn in as President in accordance with Constitution upon death of President Chiang Kai-shek.
3. By Sun Zhongwang, "Yan Family, Dongting Dongshan Anrenli (孙中旺,《洞庭東山安仁里严氏》) Archived 2010-02-21 at the Wayback Machine The Office of Suzhou History (苏州地方志). Yan Jiachi, an important politician in the Reformed Government of the Republic of China and the Wang Jingwei regime (Republic of China-Nanjing) also came of this family.
4. Han Cheung (31 March 2019). "Taiwan in Time: The (often) forgotten president". Taipei Times. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
5. http://english.president.gov.tw/Default.aspx?tabid=550
6. "Yen Chia-kan", in Heads of States and Governments Since 1945, by Harris M. Lentz, (Routledge, 2014) p173
7. "Yen Assumes Premiership", Bridgeport (CT) Post, December 16, 1963, p10
8. David P. Nickles, ed. (2007). Memorandum of Conversation. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976. 18 – via Office of the Historian.

Political offices
Preceded by Liu Hang-chen	Economic Affairs Minister of the Republic of China 1950	Succeeded by Cheng Tao-ju
Preceded by Kuan Chi-yu	Finance Minister of the Republic of China 1950–1954	Succeeded by P. Y. Shu
Preceded by position established	Minister of Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen of the Republic of China 1954–1956	Succeeded by Chiang Ching-kuo
Preceded by Yu Horng-jiun	Governor of Taiwan Province 1954–1957	Succeeded by Chow Chih-jou
Preceded by P. Y. Shu	Finance Minister of the Republic of China 1958–1963	Succeeded by Chen Ching-yu
Preceded by Chen Cheng	Premier of the Republic of China 1963–1972	Succeeded by Chiang Ching-kuo
Preceded by Chen Cheng	Vice President of the Republic of China 1966–1975	Succeeded by Hsieh Tung-ming
Preceded by Chiang Kai-shek	President of the Republic of China April 5, 1975–May 20, 1978	Succeeded by Chiang Ching-kuo