Former president Lee Teng-hui (
Lee said that although President Chen Shui-bian (
PHOTO: LIAO CHENG-HUI, TAIPEI TIMES
"Some people still refuse to accept the results of the recount and even blame the national security mechanism for their loss. If they insist on casting blame like that, the election disputes probably won't be settled even in another four years. The people should really spit on them for their behavior," Lee said yesterday while addressing hundreds of students at the Lee Teng-hui School.
Lee said that the most important thing for the people and the administration now is to redouble their efforts, carry out reforms and push ahead with administrative affairs and legislative operations.
Analyzing the pan-blue camp's loss in the election, the former president said that the pan-blue alliance's defeat resulted from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) neglecting to appreciate the growth of Taiwan-centered consciousness. Lee said this failure led to the collapse of the KMT's party-state system and to the break-up of the KMT's control over its own network of supporters.
Lee said that efforts by many private social groups to promote Taiwanese national identity have helped bring about a situation in which 57 percent of the people in Taiwan, according to opinion polls, say that they identify with the notion of Taiwanese consciousness. However, Lee said that the goal is to boost that number to 75 percent within four years.
"Candidates in the next presidential election should endeavor to win at least 55 percent of the vote," Lee said.
Urging Hoklo (more commonly known as Taiwanese) members of the KMT to realize that their party is under the control of politicians who are outside the social mainstream, Lee said that ethnic Taiwanese people have remained a part of the KMT only because they have come to rely on certain benefits that they have received as a result of Mainlander leadership.
Lee said that the KMT's leaders have too much in common with the Beijing authorities and that they don't mind seeing Taiwan harmed if it suits their political interests.
Commenting on a plan that would lead to a merger between the KMT and the PFP, Lee said the plan is riddled with trickery and conspiracy and that it would silence the voices of pro-localization party members, many of whom are leery of the proposal.
Meanwhile, Lee yesterday repeated his dismissal of China's recent threats to "crush" moves toward Taiwan's independence "at any cost," saying the bellicose statements were only bluffing on China's part.
"Some reporters asked me whether I was afraid of the threats. I said there is nothing to fear because barking dogs don't bite. Those were just deceptive tricks by the Chinese," Lee said.
"Furthermore, the guidelines they issued on cross-strait relations were only issued by the very low-ranking Taiwan Affairs Office. If the threats really did come from [Chinese President] Hu Jintao (
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to
RSS