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.
CREDIT-GRABBER: China said its coast guard rescued the crew of a fishing vessel that caught fire, who were actually rescued by a nearby Taiwanese boat and the CGA Maritime search and rescue operations do not have borders, and China should not use a shipwreck to infringe upon Taiwanese sovereignty, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday. The coast guard made the statement in response to the China Coast Guard (CCG) saying it saved a Taiwanese fishing boat. The Chuan Yu No. 6 (全漁6號), a fishing vessel registered in Keelung, on Thursday caught fire and sank in waters northeast of Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台). The vessel left Keelung’s Badouzih Fishing Harbor (八斗子漁港) at 3:35pm on Sunday last week, with seven people on board — a 62-year-old Taiwanese captain surnamed Chang (張) and six
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
RISKY BUSINESS: The ‘incentives’ include initiatives that get suspended for no reason, creating uncertainty and resulting in considerable losses for Taiwanese, the MAC said China’s “incentives” failed to sway sentiment in Taiwan, as willingness to work in China hit a record low of 1.6 percent, a Ministry of Labor survey showed. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) also reported that the number of Taiwanese workers in China has nearly halved from a peak of 430,000 in 2012 to an estimated 231,000 in 2024. That marked a new low in the proportion of Taiwanese going abroad to work. The ministry’s annual survey on “Labor Life and Employment Status” includes questions respondents’ willingness to seek employment overseas. Willingness to work in China has steadily declined from
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey. By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,462,528, the ministry said. Despite the shift, households with dogs still slightly outnumber those with cats by 1.2 percent. However, while the number of households with multiple dogs has remained relatively stable, households keeping more than two cats have increased, contributing to the overall rise in the feline population. The trend
RSS