Wang Renyuan

Wang Renyuan (Chinese: 王任遠; 2 November 1910 – 24 June 1996) was a Chinese-born politician affiliated with the Kuomintang. He served in the Second Sino-Japanese War and was elected to political office in 1946. After the government of the Republic of China relocated to Taiwan, Wang served as Minister of Justice from 1970 to 1976.

Life and career

Wang studied law at Chaoyang University [zh], then received further training as a member of the Central Training Corps [zh] and at the Institute of Revolutionary Practice. While based in Yuncheng during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Wang was captured. At the end of the war, he received the Order of Victory of Resistance against Aggression. In 1946, Wang was elected to the Constituent National Assembly. Two years later, Wang won election as a member of the Legislative Yuan representing Tianjin.[1][2] In 1961, Wang began studying in Japan, where he earned a master's in political science from Meiji University. In 1970, he was named Minister of Justice. Wang's tenure as justice minister ended in June 1976, when he was appointed an adviser to President Yen Chia-kan.[3]

Since Wang's military service, and throughout his time in Tianjin, he had been appointed to increasingly prestigious positions within the Kuomintang. In May 1978, he left the central government for his final party post.[3] His death in 1996 was marked by a presidential decree issued by Lee Teng-hui.[4]

Wang's grandson Chris Lu was born in the United States and worked for Barack Obama.

References

1. 「王任遠先生事略」，《國史館現藏民國人物傳記史料彙編》第17輯，第15頁 (in Chinese)
2. 《第一屆立法委員名鑑》，立法院立法委員名鑑編輯委員會編印，民國42年9月，第26頁 (in Chinese)
3. 天津市選出之立法委員王任遠，因出任司法行政部部長，業經辭去立法委員職務，自應依法註銷其名籍，(59)台統(一)義字第6722號(59.08.24)，《總統府公報》第2195號 (in Chinese)
4. 李總統登輝先生今天明令褒揚前司法行政部部長王任遠，褒揚令全文如下：前司法行政部部長王任遠，志慮純誠，才識宏通。早歲畢業北平朝陽大學，專攻律理精義。嗣復負笈東瀛，精研法學奧旨。抗日軍興，秉書生報國之忱，遄返國門，效命敵後，出生入死，臨難不屈，志節皭然，為時所重。勝利後，曾任天津市、河北省臨時參議會參議員。膺任制憲國民大會代表，弼成憲治，厥功至偉。民國三十七年當選立法院第一屆立法委員，讜論嘉謨，宣勤議席，翊贊功深，聲華日懋。民國五十九年洊任司法行政部部長，碩畫藎籌，展佈新猷，為健全司法體制丕奠宏基，建制修法，靖獻孔昭，群倫共仰。綜其生平，公忠體國，明法弼教，懋績殊勳，允足矜式。茲聞溘逝，軫悼良深，應予明令褒揚，以示政府崇禮耆賢之至意。 (in Chinese)