Yen Chia-kan

C. K. Yen Yen Chia-kan
嚴家淦
President of the Republic of China
In office 5 April 1975 – 20 May 1978
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-ming
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
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
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Chiang Ching-kuo
Republic of China Ambassador to Tunisia
In office 1 June 1981-1 December 1981
Member of Parliament for Taipei
In office 1950-1992
Personal details
Born	October 23, 1905 Suzhou, Jiangsu, Qing Dynasty
Died	December 24, 1993 (aged 88) Taipei, Taiwan
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 Yen Chia-kan Wu Romanization nyie cia/ka koe Southern Min Hokkien POJ Giâm Ka-kàm

Yen Chia-kan (Chinese: 嚴家淦; pinyin: Yán Jiāgàn; October 23, 1905 – December 24, 1993), also known as C. K. Yen, was a Taiwanese politician. He succeeded Chiang Kai-shek as President of the Republic of China upon Chiang's death on April 5, 1975. He served out the remainder of Chiang's term until May 20, 1978. He was a member of the Kuomintang.

Early life

C. K. Yen 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).^[1] He graduated from Saint John's University in Shanghai with a degree in chemistry in 1926.

Political career

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.^[2]

Yen previously served as Minister of Economic Affairs, minister of finance, and Governor of Taiwan Province. He became premier on December 16, 1963.^[3][4]

In 1966 the National Assembly elected Yen as Vice President and re-elected him in 1972. He 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 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

• Chiang Kai-shek
• Chiang Ching-kuo
• History of the Republic of China
• Military of the Republic of China
• President of the Republic of China
• Politics of the Republic of China
• Kuomintang

References

1. By Sun Zhongwang, "Yan Family, Dongting Dongshan Anrenli (孙中旺,《洞庭東山安仁里严氏》) 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.
2. http://english.president.gov.tw/Default.aspx?tabid=550
3. "Yen Chia-kan", in Heads of States and Governments Since 1945, by Harris M. Lentz, (Routledge, 2014) p173
4. "Yen Assumes Premiership", Bridgeport (CT) Post, December 16, 1963, p10