Tue, Apr 26, 2005 page3

• Choice of book gift may give clues to Lien's intentions

  • By Rich Chang / STAFF REPORTER
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  Academics yesterday said Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) may have chosen the book A General History of Taiwan as his gift for Chinese officials because it describes Taiwan's historical relationship with China.

  A General History of Taiwan was written in the 1920s by Lien's grandfather Lien Heng (連橫) as the first history book on Taiwan.

  "The book was autographed by Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) when his government came to Taiwan in 1949, so we infer that the book takes no position on Taiwan's identity," said Chen I-shen (陳儀深), deputy chairman of the Northern Taiwan Society and a research fellow at the Academia Sinica.

  He said the book describes Taiwan as being ruled and built by the Qing Dynasty. But historical evidence shows Taiwan did not belong to China before 1684, the year it was occupied by Qing officials.

  Chen said he did not know Lien's intentions in choosing to present the book as a gift to Chinese leaders.

  "He might feel honor or feel proud of his grandfather for writing such a history book," he said. "But on the other hand, Lien has taken a pro-China position and supports the `one China' principle, so he might be taking the book with him to underscore Taiwan's historical relationship with China."

  Chen said the book had not been written to oppose the Japanese colonial regime, and Lien Heng had managed to get two Japanese governors-general of Taiwan to autograph it.

  And now, in addition to Chiang and Japanese colonial officials, Chinese leaders would also join in honoring the book, he said. The book, astonishingly, has been able to attract three hostile parties, but has no Taiwanese national identity in mind, he said.

  He said, however, that the book contains many factual mistakes, adding that books such as Qing History and Ming History written by officials of the two dynasties, offered more accurate histories of Taiwan.

  Yang Tsung-lin (楊忠林), a history lecturer at Far East College, yesterday said the book stressed Han nationality and Han culture, so he regarded Lien as having political intentions by taking the book with him.

  He said the book had originally been partly addressed to young Taiwanese, to help them learn and remember Chinese civilization despite being under Japan's colonial rule.

  However, Wu Mi-cha (吳密察), a professor of Taiwanese history at National Taiwan University, said A General History of Taiwan was the first history book about Taiwan. He has said there were basically two kinds of Chinese history books: National history books written by empires and local chronicles. The book was written in a style similar to a national history book, not merely a local chronicle, he said.
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