Taipei: Hsu Li-nung, a former Republic of China (Taiwan) military general and minister of veterans affairs, passed away on Sunday at the age of 106.

According to Focus Taiwan, Hsu died at Taipei Veterans General Hospital at 6:13 a.m., as confirmed by a source familiar with the matter. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Born on April 4, 1919, in China’s Anhui Province, Hsu embarked on his military career during the Second Sino-Japanese War. He also participated in the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis and eventually retired as a three-star general. Following his military service, Hsu served as the minister of veterans affairs from 1987 to 1993, a position that is now part of the Veterans Affairs Council.

Hsu’s political career included serving on the Kuomintang (KMT) Central Standing Committee. However, his opposition to then-President Lee Teng-hui led to his expulsion from the KMT. In response, he co-founded the pro-unification New Party in 1993, which marked the beginning of his active involvement in advocating for unification with mainland China.

In his later years, Hsu was widely recognized for his pro-unification activities. He frequently traveled to mainland China to organize gatherings and forums promoting unification. In 2014, he was received by Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which he expressed his hope for “a unified China.” Hsu’s participation in a 2016 ceremony in Beijing, where he stood for the Chinese national anthem, drew criticism for perceived disloyalty to Taiwan.