Taiwan and China never reached a consensus of "one China, with each side making its own interpretation," former president Lee Teng-hui (
Whether there ever was a consensus has become a hot campaign issue in recent days.
Over the weekend, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Chen has refused to do so, saying that agreeing to the position would be tantamount to eliminating the Republic of China.
In addition, the government has said faxes exist in which China and Taiwan discussed the "one China" issue, but no agreement was ever reached.
"What is the `1992 consensus?' Where are the documents?" Lee said yesterday, asking anyone who had evidence of the so-called consensus should produce the papers.
"None of those who mumble about a `1992 consensus' attended the meetings."
Lien in his criticism of Chen said that the KMT could provide documents proving that a consensus was reached with China.
Lee made his remarks yesterday in Chihpeng (
Lee served as president when Taiwan and China held a series of preparatory meetings in 1992 in Hong Kong to pave the way for talks the following year.
The round of cross-strait talks culminated in the 1993 meeting in Singapore between Taiwan's negotiator Koo Chen-fu (
In addition yesterday, Lee said the constitutional right to form the Cabinet belonged to the president.
"Although Taiwan's government is a semi-presidential system, the president has the right to form the Cabinet," Lee said.
The opposition parties have said that if they continue to control a majority of seats after the Dec. 1 election, President Chen should yield his right to form the Cabinet.
"It's not true that the right to form the Cabinet belongs to the majority in the legislature because [under the Constitution] it is the president who appoints the premier," Lee said.
Lee also said that the government's replacement of his "no haste, be patient" investment policy toward China should work well.
The new policy is called "active opening, effective management" and should mean less red tape for companies investing in China.
But Lee also reminded investors that Europe and the US -- with a combined market worth 10 times that of China's -- remained Taiwan's most promising business opportunity.
Another topic Lee touched upon was a proposal to halve the number of seats in the legislature -- a plan that the TSU backs.
Opposition politicians have attacked Lee over the proposal, noting that it was under the former president that the legislature was expanded.
The lawmaking body was enlarged to create jobs for out-of-work national assemblymen and provincial assembly deputies after the provincial government and national assembly were effectively abolished.
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