Academia Sinica president Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) yesterday denied a local media report which said he was likely to quit his post as convener of the President's Advisory Group on Cross-strait Relations (兩岸跨黨派小組).
The China Times Express (
He is reported to have said, "despite former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) being abominable, he had at least respected me for two years. But Chen shows his respect for me for only two days."
The report said that "Lee has been dissatisfied with President Chen for a while. If Chen's attitudes [towards Lee] remains the same, Lee has not ruled out the possibility of resigning his commission as the convener of the advisory group."
The report added that Lee had alienated himself from Chen.
The report also said that Lee was unhappy with Chen's establishment and arrangement of the technology consultation task force (科技諮詢小組), which is headed by somebody with little direct knowledge of technology -- Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮).
Lee was also reportedly dissatisfied with Chen's remarks about stones (
Lee, in response, said it was out of the question that he would resign from the post.
"For the benefit of cross-strait peace and the development of cross-strait relations, I will do my best to facilitate the advisory group's work," Lee said at a press conference yesterday.
Lee added that he would not resign from the job without giving the matter proper consideration first.
Lee also said that "he has never made such criticisms about former president Lee nor President Chen as the report stated," adding that he felt sorrow at the false report printed in the China Times Express.
Lee added that he had a harmonious relationship with Chen and would continue to act as an advisor to him.
Meanwhile, an official at the Presidential Office yesterday said yesterday that Chen and Lee met on a regular basis and, so far, have had no major disagreement that would precipitate them breaking off relations.
"Chen and Lee may have different views on some issues, but Chen respects Lee's views while Lee, as a liberal, is also tolerant of other's opinion," the official said.
The official added that the founding guidelines of the technology consultative task force had already passed before Lee had made clear his dissatisfaction with them. As a result, the guidelines passed notwithstanding Lee's disapproval and that didn't mean Chen disrespected Lee.
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