Former president Lee Teng-hui (
"Those factories located in the Pudong (浦東) area of Shanghai, have in fact been built on dangerous ground, like buildings built on water," said Lee while attending election campaign events yesterday.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
"I see that [the buildings] are leaning and [we] don't know when they will collapse," he said.
Lee was again on the campaign trail yesterday, supporting legislative candidates of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) and he repeatedly argued that Taiwan must not become overly dependent on China or expect that investments there will save Taiwan's economy.
"Now Taiwan's local newspapers and television channels are full of praise for China's communists," Lee said. "The media always describes how beautiful Shanghai is and how many Taiwanese businessmen have built their factories in Pudong."
"But the fact is that over 80 percent of [the businessmen with investments there] have lost money in China," Lee said. "They are just ashamed to speak the truth."
Lee stressed that while serving as Taipei City mayor, he once led the city government in filling abandoned Keelung River channels in Shilin District, "so I know how to fill up the ground properly to prevent buildings from collapsing along the river banks.
"China is far behind Taiwan [in that technology and knowledge]. I don't think that anybody in Pudong knows that the buildings there are unsafe."
The former president again appealed to all Taiwanese to be confident in the country's future, saying China's economic development relies on the efforts of Taiwanese businessmen, but that Taiwan did not have to rely on its big neighbor.
"The prosperity of China is only a false impression," Lee said. "The only thing we are worried about is that people on this island will lose confidence."
"Though I am a 78-year-old man, my spirit is as young as that of a thirty or forty year old. I will endeavor to protect Taiwan's democracy, which is what I do when I promote `localization,' and recognition of Taiwan's sovereignty."
In support of TSU candidates, Lee made a series of hurried appearances at candidates' campaign events yesterday, urging people to support the government and assist the ruling DPP in overcoming the difficulties it faces.
"Since the public chose to elect Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) as our head of state, we should at least let him have his four years and do our best to help him stabilize the country," Lee said. "That is what I mean by `the spirit of democracy.' And people should not vote for those candidates who go on television and say that Lee Teng-hui is a bad guy. Otherwise Taiwan will degenerate into chaos again."
Lee, however, also suggested that the president should affect a more personable posture, and remain open to the ideas and needs of the people.
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