Minister seeks posthumous citation for publisher Charles Kao

Taipei, Aug. 7 (CNA) Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠) said Friday that he will recommend that President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) issue a posthumous citation honoring publishing pioneer Charles Kao (高希均), who died Thursday at the age of 90.

Li said he was deeply saddened by Kao's passing and praised his contributions to Taiwan's magazine publishing industry, public policy and economics.

According to a Ministry of Culture (MOC) statement, Kao was born in Nanjing in 1936 and moved to Taiwan with his family in 1949.

He graduated from National Taipei University of Business and National Chung Hsing University before earning a master's degree from South Dakota State University and a doctorate in economic development from Michigan State University.

In 1981, Kao co-founded CommonWealth Magazine with veteran journalists Yin Yun-peng (殷允芃) and Wang Li-hsing (王力行). A year later, he co-founded Commonwealth Publishing Group with Wang and Chang Tso-chin (張作錦).

Kao later founded Global Views Monthly in 1986 and Future Parenting magazine in 2002.

Over the course of his career, Kao authored more than 40 books and published nine books in China.

His works won three Golden Tripod Awards, Taiwan's highest publishing honor. He also received the Golden Tripod Award for Special Contribution in 2002. In 2016, then-President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) awarded him the Order of the Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon.

Beyond publishing, Kao served as an adviser to multiple Executive Yuan ministries and agencies and as a visiting professor at National Taiwan University's College of Management. He also played a key role in researching and shaping Taiwan's economic policies.

The MOC said Kao remained committed throughout his life to Taiwan's social and economic development, offering thoughtful perspectives on political, economic and social issues while promoting progressive ideas through his writing and publishing.