Amid a packed house, former president Lee Teng-hui (
The talk was part of the promotional activities for the release of the book From Taiwan to Taiwan Plus -- Taiwan's Overall National Goals in the 21st Century. The book is a collection of Lee's theses on the nation's future development in terms of building Taiwan's state identity, awareness of China's threats, national security, diplomacy expansion, economic development, promotion of Taiwan-centered education and culture, and reinforcement of democracy.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The three young people in the talk were: Freddy Lin (
In a question and answer session, the former president, in his 80s, spoke passionately about the need for young people to understand this moment of nation building.
Lin asked how it was that Lee Teng-hui had gone from Japanese colonization to the rule of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) dictatorship, to a fervent supporter of independence.
Lee Teng-hui said he has witnessed the grief all Taiwanese feel who have long been unable to be the boss of their own country.
"When I was still in the KMT, I always said Taiwanese people were unfortunate because Taiwan was ruled by an alien regime. Then KMT secretary-general Chiang Yang-shih (
He said the result of Taiwanese people being ruled by alien regimes has been that their mouths have been sealed for fear of improper speeches.
The former president said it is important to understand history and to be firm and consistent in fighting against all odds.
In addition, he said he keeps a strong Christian belief, which has seen him through the darkest times as he pushed for the causes of the country and stood up to fierce opposition and partisan feuding.
"I don't mind that other people have spoken ill of me. I also don't care about the protests and attacks by members of the pro-unification Patriot Association (
"Faith, ethics and justice are the most important characters an individual must bear in face of the fast-changing global society," he said.
Lee Yen-hui asked how young people should strike a balance between the pursuit of individual success and the attention for the state's prosperity.
Lee Teng-hui urged young people to reinforce their national identity, which, he said, should be a premise for personal success.
"Many young people in Taiwan thought they were born in a free and democratic society and have enjoyed much comfort of freedom. However, this is just material freedom. There are many areas showing Taiwan is not entirely free; that is, Taiwan is not completely a free state," he said.
The former president said, for example, that education in the country still lacks a focus on Taiwan's history and geography, as in the past five decades under the KMT, education disproportionately focused on China.
In addition, Lee said, Aboriginals' rights to autonomy should be respected.
"The Aboriginals are the earliest residents of this island, who came to Taiwan about 450 years ago. But they were driven to the mountainous areas and deprived of many of their inherent rights. What they need most is the skills and management abilities to help them out of poverty and relieve their grave unemployment problems. Their indigenous culture and art should be preserved," Lee Teng-hui said.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
The brilliant blue waters, thick foliage and bucolic atmosphere on this seemingly idyllic archipelago deep in the Pacific Ocean belie the key role it now plays in a titanic geopolitical struggle. Palau is again on the front line as China, and the US and its allies prepare their forces in an intensifying contest for control over the Asia-Pacific region. The democratic nation of just 17,000 people hosts US-controlled airstrips and soon-to-be-completed radar installations that the US military describes as “critical” to monitoring vast swathes of water and airspace. It is also a key piece of the second island chain, a string of
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
RSS