Chin: "De-Sinicization" does not mean getting rid of China. It means getting rid of the culture of an alien regime. The past KMT government thoroughly Sinicized Taiwan, deeply harming Taiwan's localization and democratization. After taking office as president, Lee began undertaking localization and democratization.
TTV: What's the so-called "Chiang Ching-kuo path?" What inspiration did you get from it?
Lee: I have a notebook which records things like localization and democratic reforms, about which Chiang was deeply concerned. He used to talk about Taiwan's development and he hoped that the people of Taiwan could work hard for the country -- to have local people work for their community.
The align regime is a big problem, and Chiang was clear about these problems.
In my notebook I also wrote about the establishment of the DPP in 1986. In my capacity as vice president at that time, I thought I should consult [former] president Chiang about this. I made a phone call to his residence in Chihai that day. The security officer who answered the phone told me Chiang was asleep. Chiang was already in poor health then.
There was no reply on the second day, Sunday either. On Monday, I arrived at the Presidential Office before eight o'clock. He knew I had arrived and asked me to see him. Without mentioning the word "the DPP," he said we should not view it as a problem. For the sake of national security and people's happiness, he said, don't quarrel over this problem and make it worse. Therefore, I once said at a meeting of the KMT's Central Standing Committee that the whole country was to be democratized and any kind of political party could be established, not just the KMT.
I viewed Chiang as my teacher. I'm a student from the Chiang Ching-kuo school. I learned a lot during the six years when I served as a minister without portfolio.
Translated by Francis Huang, Jackie Lin and Ethan Harkness
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