Li Ao
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Li Ao (, also spelled Lee Ao; 25 April 1935 – 18 March 2018) was a Taiwanese writer, politician and television personality. Li rose to prominence in the early 1960s through his articles in ''Wenxing'' (1957–1988), an intellectual Taiwanese magazine where he defended
Hu Shih Hu Shih ( zh, t=胡適; 17 December 189124 February 1962) was a Chinese academic, writer, and politician. Hu contributed to Chinese liberalism and language reform, and was a leading advocate for the use of written vernacular Chinese. He part ...
, criticized traditional Chinese culture, and advocated for complete Westernization, igniting a cultural debate over Chinese and Western ideologies. During the 1970s, he became active in the pro-democracy Tangwai movement, which resulted in two prison sentences as a political prisoner. After martial law was lifted in Taiwan in 1987, Li frequently ran for public office. In 2000, he ran for the presidency of Taiwan as the New Party candidate. From 2004 to 2008, he served as an independent legislator in the
Legislative Yuan The Legislative Yuan () is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for four-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a ...
. After leaving office, Li focused on writing and teaching, and became a media personality hosting shows such as ''Li Ao Speaks His Mind'' (李敖有话说) and ''Li Ao's Wit and Humor'' (李敖语妙天下). Over his career, Li espoused
liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...
, Chinese nationalist ideals,
anti-American Anti-Americanism (also called anti-American sentiment and Americanophobia) is a term that can describe several sentiments and po ...
and anti-Japanese sentiments. A prominent critic of the Chiang family and the
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
's authoritarian rule in Taiwan, following the democratization in the late 1980s, he also criticized the
Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan. As the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition, one of the two main political camps in Taiwan, the DPP is currently the ...
and the
Taiwanese independence movement The Taiwan independence movement is a political movement which advocates the formal declaration of an independent and sovereign Taiwanese state, as opposed to Chinese unification or the status quo in Cross-Strait relations. Into the 21st-c ...
. In his later years, Li praised the
Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
for revitalizing China but also condemned its authoritarianism.


Early life and education

Li was born in
Harbin Harbin, ; zh, , s=哈尔滨, t=哈爾濱, p=Hā'ěrbīn; IPA: . is the capital of Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest city of Heilongjiang, as well as being the city with the second-largest urban area, urban population (after Shenyang, Lia ...
,
Manchukuo Manchukuo, officially known as the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of Great Manchuria thereafter, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China that existed from 1932 until its dissolution in 1945. It was ostens ...
to Li Dingyi ( 李鼎彝), a professor of Chinese, and Zhang Kuichen (). His family had ancestry in Wei County (modern-day Weifang),
Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...
Province, and Fuyu County,
Jilin ) , image_skyline = Changbaishan Tianchi from western rim.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = View of Heaven Lake , image_map = Jilin in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_al ...
Province. When Li was two years old, the family moved to
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
, where Li's father worked in the government's opium suppression bureau. There, Li's father was accused of being a traitor to the Kuomintang by his superiors. Li then began feeling enmity towards the party. The entire Li family, except for two children, moved to Taiwan at the end of the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...
in 1949. Li received his bachelor's degree in history from
National Taiwan University National Taiwan University (NTU; zh, t=國立臺灣大學, poj=Kok-li̍p Tâi-oân Tāi-ha̍k, p=, s=) is a National university, national Public university, public research university in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in 1928 during Taiwan under J ...
(NTU) in 1959. In 1963, he earned a master's degree in history from NTU. As a graduate student, he was the executive editor of the magazine ''Wenxing''.


Writing career

Li participated in the democratic movement in Taiwan between the 1960s and 1980s. In the 1960s, he was the editor-in-chief of pro-democracy magazine ''Wenxing'' (文星). He was jailed by the
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
government from 1971 to 1976, for helping a pro-
Taiwan independence Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of Chi ...
legal scholar, Peng Ming-min, escape to Japan in 1970; even though Li himself had a long history of being an advocate of reunification. Throughout the 1970s, Li received international attention for his imprisonment. He was highlighted by
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
as one of the three most important political prisoners in Taiwan in 1974. From 1981 to 1982 Li was imprisoned over a dispute with a former employer. Li's novel ''Mountaintop Love'' (), about a mother and a daughter who fall in love with the same man, though several years apart, established his status as a novelist, solidified by ''Martyrs' Shrine: The Story of the Reform Movement of 1898 in China'' (北京法源寺), a novel about the
Hundred Days' Reform The Hundred Days' Reform or Wuxu Reform () was a failed 103-day national, cultural, political, and educational reform movement that occurred from 11 June to 22 September 1898 during the late Qing dynasty. It was undertaken by the young Guangxu Emp ...
. Ninety-six of his books were banned in Taiwan until 1991. Popular in mainland China in the 1990s and 2000s, the majority of his books have been prohibited from republishing since 2012 amid China's tightened censorship under
Xi Jinping Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...
, except his two memoirs and ''Martyrs' Shrine.''


Political career

Li participated in Taiwan's presidential election in 2000 as a candidate for the New Party. Li usually played the role of a political gadfly, and his campaign was largely symbolic. He took the election as an opportunity to "educate" the people of Taiwan. Both Li and his party publicly encouraged people to vote for
James Soong Soong Chu-yu (; born 30 April 1942), also known by his English name James Soong, is a Taiwanese political scientist and politician who is the founder and chairman of the People First Party. Soong was the first and only elected governor of Taiw ...
. During the presidential debates, Li even stated that he was not planning to vote for himself and that people should vote for Soong. Since the 2000 presidential election, Li had bitterly spoken out against pro-independence Nobel laureate Yuan T. Lee, who publicly supported
Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian ( zh, t=陳水扁; born 12 October 1950) is a Taiwanese former politician and lawyer who served as the fifth president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progres ...
. He also accused former President
Lee Teng-hui Lee Teng-hui (; pinyin: ''Lǐ Dēnghuī''; 15 January 192330 July 2020) was a Taiwanese politician and agricultural scientist who served as the fourth president of the Republic of China, president of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) unde ...
of corruption. In October 2004, Li ran in the December 11 legislative election as a non-partisan candidate of the South
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
constituency, and was subsequently elected to be the last winning place. He took office as an independent legislator on 1 February 2005. In February 2005, Li held a press conference, accusing the PFP leader,
James Soong Soong Chu-yu (; born 30 April 1942), also known by his English name James Soong, is a Taiwanese political scientist and politician who is the founder and chairman of the People First Party. Soong was the first and only elected governor of Taiw ...
of having changed his opposition towards military weapons purchase from the United States under the influence of people of pro-American inclination, people with CIA backgrounds and arms traders who would receive kick-backs. Li threatened Soong that he would reveal the names of the people with CIA backgrounds, who were influencing Soong, to the general public unless Soong reverted to his previous opposition position. PFP legislators dismissed the accusation and responded that Li Ao should reveal his evidence to support his story. Later that year, in June, Li claimed to the Taiwanese press that he had exclusive information from the CIA concerning the 3-19 shooting incident. He alleged that the real motive of the killer was to assassinate the Vice-President Annette Lu in order to garner sympathy votes for
Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian ( zh, t=陳水扁; born 12 October 1950) is a Taiwanese former politician and lawyer who served as the fifth president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progres ...
, and that the killer had been condoned by the governing party for ulterior political reasons. After flashing several allegedly CIA-endorsed documents to reporters, he mailed them to Annette Lu, claiming that she needed to know the truth about the assassination attempt to the full extent. On 19 September 2005, Li returned to Mainland China for the first time in 56 years. He was invited to give speeches at
Peking University Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...
,
Tsinghua University Tsinghua University (THU) is a public university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Constructio ...
and
Fudan University Fudan University (FDU) is a public university, national public university in Yangpu, Shanghai, Yangpu, Shanghai, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education (China), Ministry of Education and is co-funded with the Shanghai Municipal ...
where he was warmly received, and the trip was claimed to have had significant impact on observers of Cross-Strait relations. Li was a candidate for the 2006 Taipei Mayoral election, and a candidate for the 2012 Legislative Yuan elections, campaigning in Taipei City District 8 under the People First Party (PFP) banner. Li also satirized Mao Zedong's
Little Red Book ''Quotations from Chairman Mao'' ( zh, s=毛主席语录, t=毛主席語錄, p=Máo Zhǔxí Yǔlù, commonly known as the "红宝书" zh, p=hóng bǎo shū during the Cultural Revolution), colloquially referred to in the English-speaking world ...
in his article. On 24 October 2006, Li sprayed
tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the Mace (spray), early commercial self-defense spray, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the ey ...
and wielded a stun gun during a Legislative Yuan National Defense Committee meeting, forcing several members of the parliament to flee. He was attempting to stop debate on purchasing attack submarines and Patriot anti-aircraft missiles for $16 billion from the U.S. He was also wearing the Guy Fawkes mask from ''
V for Vendetta ''V for Vendetta'' is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd (comics), David Lloyd (with additional art by Tony Weare). Initially published between 1982 and 1985 in black and white as an ongoing Serial (li ...
''.


Personal life

Li has a reputation of a womanizer. In the early 1960s, Li cohabited with Wang Shangqin, a
National Taiwan University National Taiwan University (NTU; zh, t=國立臺灣大學, poj=Kok-li̍p Tâi-oân Tāi-ha̍k, p=, s=) is a National university, national Public university, public research university in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in 1928 during Taiwan under J ...
student and the younger sister of the writer Wang Shangyi. In 1964, Wang went to the United States for study, only to discover that she was pregnant with Li’s child. She gave birth to their daughter, Hedy W. Lee, out of wedlock in Seattle. However, during Wang Shangqin’s pregnancy, Li Ao became romantically involved with another woman, Wu Haidi. In 1966, Wang brought their daughter to Taiwan and briefly reconciled with Li, but their relationship ultimately ended due to his involvement with multiple other women. Wang has acrimonious relationships with both Li and their daughter Lee thereafter. After she returned to the US from Taiwan, she remarried Wen Naijian, an engineer. Lee, in a book published in 2004, accused Wen, her stepfather, of molesting her when she was 14, which Wang denied. On 6 May 1980, Li married Taiwanese actress
Terry Hu Terry Hu (; born 21 April 1953) is a Taiwanese actress, writer and translator. Life Early life Hu was born Hu Yinyin in Taichung, Taiwan on April 21, 1953, with her ancestral home in Shenyang, Liaoning, the only daughter of Qu Shifang (), an ...
. The couple divorced on 28 August 1980, after 115 days in total. On 8 March 1992, Li married his second wife, Wang Zhihui ( 王志慧). They had one son and one daughter. Their son, Li Kan ( 李戡), graduated with a
BA degree A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...
in history from
Peking University Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...
and with a PhD degree in Chinese Studies from
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
.李敖李戡妙语连珠
Retrieved 2017-03-21


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Ao 1935 births Taiwanese people from Shandong 2018 deaths 20th-century Taiwanese historians Anti-American sentiment in Asia Anti-Japanese sentiment Chinese Civil War refugees Conservatism in Taiwan Liberalism in China Members of the 6th Legislative Yuan National Taiwan University alumni New Party (Taiwan) presidential nominees Politicians from Harbin Republic of China politicians from Heilongjiang Taipei Members of the Legislative Yuan Taiwanese billionaires Taiwanese people from Jilin Taiwanese male novelists Taiwanese people from Heilongjiang Taiwanese activists for Chinese unification