Former president Lee Teng-hui (
"I did not go to Japan for fun this time, but I kept very quiet. As long as a firm bond between Japan and Taiwan can be established, I have achieved success," he said.
Lee further used the relief efforts after the South Asian tsunami as an example: He said that despite Taiwan's donating a lot of money for relief, the nation was still denied a place in the summit discussing future relief actions.
"We really do not have to cry out loud about this. We do not have to care about the rights that often would come with the obligations," Lee said.
"It is a reality that no one would assist Taiwan, and we don't have to be angry about it. It is our fate, and we have to make our own way, step by step," he said.
Lee, who turns 84 today (according to the lunar Calendar), was treated to an evening party hosted by his Hong Shee Villa (鴻禧山莊) neighbors. The event was also attended by his wife, daughter and son-in-law.
He was in high spirits and delivered a robust and lively birthday address.
Besides his neighbors, most TSU party officials and lawmakers, including former chairman Huang Chu-wen (
Several Ministry of Education officials, including Minister Tu Cheng-sheng (杜正勝), were also present at the party under invitation by TSU Legislator Cheng Cheng-lung (程政隆), as Cheng was a member of the legislature's Education Committee.
Lee made a birthday wish that he could continue to work hard for Taiwan's future for another 10 years.
He said half-jokingly that Hong Shee Villa was actually the TSU's main base, because his neighbors in the development had sponsored and helped the TSU substantially.
Lee also, unavoidably, touched upon the subject of domestic politics.
"Someone says that I am a changeable person, but I am not. I have long hated the KMT -- you just have to look at the magnitude of the degree in which they had controlled Taiwan," he said.
Lee said that when the KMT lost the election in 2000, he thought he should step down and let President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) start building a democratic society.
"What is wrong with establishing a democratic, localized society with a native Taiwan awareness? Also, when we are talking about the "New Taiwanese," what then about the Old Taiwanese?" Lee asked.
Lee said that "be it Mainlanders or Taiwanese, everyone should be New Taiwanese" and help establish a polity with Taiwan as its sovereignty.
Lee said that now, after Taiwan's democracy had been established, Taiwan should "take a turn" when working to develop its people's sovereign awareness, otherwise the nation might "bump into a wall."
Various other birthday celebrations were slated to continue today. Lee was scheduled to attend a book launch press conference as well as a concert, and would meet with veteran pro-independence activists for another birthday party.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from