A dispute over two former presidents' diaries has put the Chiang family back on the headlines again. Chiang You-mei, granddaughter of the late president Chiang Ching-kuo, recently challenged the legitimacy of her aunt Chiang Fang Chi-yi in authorizing an institute of Standford University to keep the diaries of their presidential ancestors. The younger Chiang threatened to take legal actions if her aunt fails to address the issue properly.

When the Hoover Institute of Stanford Univeristy held a launch party to announce it was to house the Two Chiang diaries back in 2006,

then-KMT chairperson Ma Ying-jeou and the widow of Chiang Ching-kuo's third son Chiang Fan Chi-yi were in the attendance.

In 2005, Chiang Fang Chih-yi signed an agreement with the Hoover Institute that authoritized the San Francisco-based think tank to take possession of the diaries for the next 50 years,

a decision that was disapproved by Chiang You-mei, the daughter of Chiang Ching-kuo's deceased eldest son.

Chiang You-mei, who resides in the UK, said in the statement that Chiang Fang Chih-yi should not have signed the contract with the Hoover Institute by herself,

because she is only one of nine legal heirs to the two Chiangs' diaries. Her act infringed on the legal rights of the other heirs.

Legislator John Chiang, the son of Chiang Ching-kuo born out of wedlock,

said the two diaries are of significant academic value because they documented crucial historical events in modern China and recounted relevant policymaking processes and suggests the government to build a library to better preserve the documents and other important historical materials.