Lee says Taiwan has set example

Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday urged China to follow Taiwan by taking steps toward democratization, saying the dictatorial nature of the leadership change in Beijing is similar to what the KMT went through more than a decade ago.

"I was doing the same thing more than 12 years ago in the KMT," Lee said, pointing to the stiff appearance and formalities of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) 16th National Congress.

"Nobody was permitted to speak his mind. All were required to clap their hands," Lee said during a speech yesterday morning to introduce a seminar on European affairs and their implications for Taiwan.

Although the first smooth transfer of power in the CCP was witnessed during the party's congress last week, Lee had no reservations about criticizing the undemocratic nature of the regime in Beijing.

"The biggest difference between Taiwan and China lies in the fact that Taiwan is a democratic state, whereas mainland China is not ... . If the Chinese leaders really have guts, they should go for it [democratization]," Lee said.

Lee said he had to deal with an inner struggle when he joined the KMT decades ago as the party was still under dictatorial rule.

He also said it was under late president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) that Taiwan began its democratization process with the introduction of various reforms such as the lifting of martial law.

Lee criticized the party for its intolerance of dissent, saying: "I was quite pleased when I was expelled from the KMT."

The former president, who was in office for 12 years until 2000, was expelled in September of last year following his attacks on the KMT and his move to support the newly founded TSU.

Using Europe as an example, Lee said Taiwan should learn from the experiences of tiny European states who were able to survive despite being surrounding by major powers.

The identity of Taiwan as a sovereign state free from the shackles of China should be a key goal for Taiwan, said Lee, who in the summer of 1999 termed relations between the two nations as "special state-to-state" in nature.

Throughout the 40-minute talk, Lee showed his charisma as he alternated between Mandarin and Taiwanese, with vivid facial expressions and timely jokes to entertain his audience.

The former president also urged young people to shoulder their responsibility for the future of the country, calling on them to develop the ability to judge right from wrong.

The government should also make use of the vitality of small and medium-sized enterprises and encourage them to help expand Taiwan's international ties, Lee said.

"Small and medium-sized enterprises are the best non-governmental organizations ... . It is vital to include them as a part of the national team for diplomacy," Lee said.