Electrical engineer turned premier who restored Taiwan’s power grid and launched its semiconductor industry
Born in Penglai, Shandong, in 1913, he graduated first in his class from the Sino-Russian Industrial University in Harbin. During the war against Japan he relocated power plants for the National Resources Commission, built Xining’s first power station and trained at the Tennessee Valley Authority. Sent to Taiwan in 1945, he restored 80 per cent of the island’s power supply within five months and later ran Taipower. As minister of transportation from 1967 and of economic affairs from 1969 he drove the Ten Major Construction Projects, founded the Industrial Technology Research Institute and made semiconductors a focus of industrial policy. As premier from 1978 to 1984 he faced the break with the United States and the Kaohsiung Incident, until a cerebral haemorrhage forced him out. He died in 2006.
Also known as: Sun Yunxuan
Activities and affiliations
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1946–1964
Republic of China state institutionsChief engineer and general manager of Taipower
Economy, finance and planning -
1967–1969
Republic of China state institutionsMinister of Transportation and Communications
Government and administration -
1969–1978
Republic of China state institutionsMinister of Economic Affairs
Economy, finance and planning -
1978–1984
Republic of China state institutionsPresident of the Executive YuanHeads of state, government and party of ChinaMain
Political and party leadership -
–2006
Political and party leadership
Career Timeline
- 1934.05Graduated first in his class from the Sino-Russian Industrial University, Harbin
- 1936Joined the National Resources Commission
- 1942–1945Trained at the Tennessee Valley Authority
- 1945.12.20Arrived in Taiwan to take over the power system
- 1946.05.01Head of the mechanical and electrical department, Taipower
- 1950Chief engineer of Taipower
- 1964–1967General manager of the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria
- 1967–1969Minister of Transportation and Communications
- 1969–1978Minister of Economic Affairs
- 1973Proposed the Industrial Technology Research Institute
- 1978.06.01–1984.02.24President of the Executive Yuan
- 1984.02.24Suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and resigned