KMT plans to sue businessman for libel

The KMT yesterday said it plans to sue for libel a Taiwanese businessman who claims Lien Chan (連戰) asked Beijing to hold war games in the lead up to the 2000 presidential poll to help him win the election.

Lin Chih-sheng (林志昇) makes the allegation in his new book, Escaping from Mainland China. The book, put out by the Yungshang publishing house (雍尚出版), hit store shelves on Tuesday.

"What Mr. Lin said in his book is not true at all. The story has injured our chairman's reputation," KMT spokesman Wu Ching-ji (吳清基) said yesterday.

"The false accusation violates Article 310 of the Criminal Code. We plan to file a lawsuit against Lin and the publishing house. We're also asking for NT$100 million in compensation."

The KMT plans to file the suit today, but said it would be withdrawn if the author apologizes for his claims within three days and recalls within two weeks the copies of his book that have already been distributed.

But Lin said he welcomed the KMT's challenge to his claims and vowed to release evidence to support his story.

"I'll hold a press conference to release my evidence after the KMT files the lawsuit," Lin told the Taipei Times yesterday.

"I believe in Taiwan's legal system and I'm not worried about the suit at all. I was just recounting a historical fact."

KMT politician Tsai Chung-chi (蔡重吉), a former member of the National Assembly who is mentioned in Lin's book, told the Taipei Times yesterday that Lin's version of events is accurate.

According to the book, Lien had sent representative Tsai Chih-hong (蔡志弘) to Hong Kong to ask Chinese officials to hold military exercises off the Fujian coast a few days before the election on March 18, 2000.

But Hsing Yunming (邢運明), Beijing's representative at the Hong Kong meeting, said China was happy to help but the request couldn't be accommodated because there wasn't enough time to plan.

"Hsing told me that Tsai Chih-hong in Hong Kong had asked China to announce war games [to help] Lien Chan when they met on March 11," Tsai Chung-chi said.

In the book, Lin describes Tsai as being well connected to high-ranking Chinese officials.

The KMT politician also said he would testify on Lin's behalf if necessary. "Of course I will testify for Lin. It's just about describing reality," Tsai said.

"I think Lien's request was really inappropriate."

At the Hong Kong meeting, Hsing made a counter-proposal, suggesting that Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji (朱鎔基) deliver a tough speech before the poll to warn Taiwanese voters, the book says.

In a speech that was widely seen on television in Taiwan on March 15, 2000, Zhu said: "Let me advise all these people in Taiwan: Do not just act on impulse at this juncture, which will decide the future course that China and Taiwan will follow. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't get another opportunity to regret."