The government needs to talk about Taiwan's legal status with the US so that it can eventually become an independent, normal nation, former president Lee Teng-hui (
Lee made the remarks yesterday morning while giving a lecture at the Lee Teng-hui School.
"Everyone says that Taiwan needs to gain independence, but how?" Lee asked students.
Lee said that the key to the problem was that Taiwan's status is uncertain and that the "Republic of China" is not a real country.
"Although Taiwan is equipped with the prerequisites of nationhood -- including having a government, people, territory and diplomatic policies -- it lacks the most important element of a nation: sovereignty," Lee said.
"In fact, Taiwan's legal status has been uncertain since World War II, which has led the UN to reject Taiwan as a member and prevented Taiwan from participating in the international community and establishing relations with big countries," Lee said.
Lee said that during World War II, Taiwan was part of the Pacific theater and not the war in China. Although US General Douglas Mac-Arthur ordered former president Chiang Kai-shek (
Therefore, to move toward the goal of Taiwanese independence, Lee said that the nation needed to hold discussions with the US, in addition to its other efforts: promoting Taiwanese democracy, writing a new constitution and changing the country's official name.
"We could see exactly what the US wants from Taiwan, and then decide if we can accept the US' conditions," Lee said.
Lee said that, his key aim was to enhance the public's national identification. He also criticized Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Lee also responded to media reports which speculated that he may suffer from severe diabetes.
"I'm in very good health," Lee said with a smile. "Those who have doubts about my health condition can play golf with me."
"Perhaps some people want me to die early so that they can do whatever they want," Lee added, sparking a round of laughter.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday showcased its locally developed variants of the Vision 60 robotic patrol dog, which it plans to deploy on the nation’s outlying territories in the South China Sea. The variants were produced under the Joint Lab project — created by the institute and domestic companies — and assembled with domestically produced motors, lenses and artificial intelligence (AI) systems alongside licensed tech from the US, Missile and Rocket Systems Research Division deputy director Jen Kuo-kang (任國光) told the media event at a military base in Taipei’s Dazhi (大直) area. Taiwan has built up its strengths
TIT-FOR-TAT: The US allegedly revoked the visa of a Chinese national working at Xinhua News Agency in the US in response to Beijing’s expulsion of Vivian Wang The Presidential Office yesterday condemned China for expelling a New York Times correspondent from Beijing following the newspaper’s interview with President William Lai (賴清德), saying the move highlighted Beijing’s suppression of press freedom and its threat to international news media. Taiwan has noted a series of recent incidents in which Beijing used similar tactics to “threaten and pressure international media outlets and journalists,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement. “This concerns not only press freedom and freedom of expression, but also the safety of journalists, and Taiwan and relevant partners are paying close attention to the situation,” she
NOT IMMEDIATE: Taiwan has a chance to appeal the proposed 10 percent tariff before it starts, while other countries face a 12.5 percent tariff from the trade office Taiwan is among 60 economies determined by the US to have failed to impose or enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor, according to a notice released on Tuesday by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which proposed imposing an additional 10 percent or more tariff on them. The USTR in a statement said that following an investigation, it had determined under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that the failure of the 60 economies to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is
RSS