Sun Tse-kiong

Sun Zhiqiang, born on January 27, 1915, in Beijing, was one of Sun Yat-sen's grandchildren and a child of Sun Ke. Shortly after his birth, he spent his childhood in Beijing together with his older brother Sun Zhiping. Sun Zhiqiang studied at Nanjing Jinling University and completed his studies there before the Sino-Japanese War. He later went to the United States to study, earning a master's degree in political economy from the University of California. His birth during his overseas studies is closely related to the period when his father Sun Ke was studying abroad.

On April 12, 1948, Sun Zhiqiang was appointed as an advisory member of the Resources Committee. In 1973, after Sun Ke's passing, Sun Zhiqiang returned from the U.S. to Taiwan to handle his father's funeral arrangements. In Taiwan, he was persuaded by Soong Mei-ling to remain, and she arranged for him to undertake related duties. Subsequently, Sun Zhiqiang maintained a relatively low profile, serving mainly as a consultant for the Central Trust Bureau and the Taipei National Palace Museum.

Sun Zhiqiang was married twice. In his first marriage, he had two daughters, Sun Jialin and Sun Jiayu, both residing in the United States. After his divorce, he remarried Lin Lunkuo, with whom he had two sons, Sun Guoyuan and Sun Guosheng. Lin Lunkuo was 30 years younger than Sun Zhiqiang. Because Lin Lunkuo accompanied her children to study in the U.S., Sun Zhiqiang resided in Taiwan for many years.

He participated in several significant events. On November 12, 1996, Sun Zhiqiang was invited to attend the 130th anniversary commemorative conference of Sun Yat-sen in Beijing. The conference was attended by party and state leaders including Jiang Zemin, Li Ruihuan, Zhu Rongji, Hu Jintao, and Rong Yiren. Sun Zhiqiang and his siblings were received and took photographs with leaders before the start of the conference. Afterwards, he and his delegation visited Sun Yat-sen’s mausoleum, and traveled to Nanjing, Shanghai, and Cuiheng in Guangdong to pay tribute to Sun Yat-sen.

Due to modest economic conditions, in his later years, due to age and frailty, Sun Zhiqiang rented a residence in Taipei to receive medical treatment. In July 2001, he traveled to the U.S. with illness to attend his son Sun Guosheng’s university graduation. He suddenly suffered a heart attack in Los Angeles and passed away at the age of 87.

Sun Zhiqiang’s wife Lin Lunkuo publicly stated that, as a descendant of Sun Yat-sen, their family maintained a low profile, living an ordinary life. Despite their special heritage, they adhered to a simple lifestyle, and neighbors were aware of their background.