Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday accused President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of “distorting history” by lying to Taiwanese with his claim that the so-called “1992 consensus” was a decision made during Lee’s presidency.
Lee’s statement, made via a posting on his Facebook page, came as a response to remarks made by Ma in an interview with the Chinese-language China Times on Thursday that the “1992 consensus” had been decided when Lee was president.
In the statement yesterday, Lee said he had publicly stated, on numerous occasions, that there was no consensus during the cross-strait talks in 1992 in Hong Kong, adding that late Straits Exchange Foundation chairman Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) had also said that there was no such a consensus.
Lee said that Su Chi (蘇起), a former National Security Council secretary under Ma’s administration, had admitted creating the term.
“Ma’s continuous remarks that the ‘1992 consensus’ exists is unacceptable as it is an action that distorts history and is effectively lying to Taiwanese,” Lee said.
Lee said the National Unification Council (NUC) was established because of the conclusion of wartime status across the Strait. Its establishment also included temporary arrangements because of the acceptance of the different opinions within the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Lee said.
The NUC’s actual proposal at the time was “two political entities” and because China was unable to accept the “separate interpretations” of “two political entities,” there was no consensus, Lee said, adding that even now there is no consensus on the “separate interpretation” of “one China.”
The so-called “1992 consensus” referred to by China only has “one China,” and not “one China, with each side having its own interpretation,” Lee said.
“As such, where is the ‘consensus’?” he asked.
If Ma wishes to insist that there is a “1992 consensus,” he should first explain whether China agrees to “separate interpretations” and should also ask Beijing to publicly announce whether they agree to “separate interpretations” and thus acknowledge that the Republic of China (ROC) exists, Lee said.
Otherwise, it is selling out Taiwan’s sovereignty and bowing to China, Lee said.
If Taiwan and China reach a consensus, such an action must first follow a domestic democratic process and the reaching of a domestic consensus, Lee said.
Separately yesterday, Taiwan Solidarity Union Chairman Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) called a press conference and said Ma’s talk of the “1992 consensus” was in effect murdering the ROC.
He went on to urge voters to support Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in next month’s elections.
Urging voters to “abandon Ma and save Taiwan,” Huang added that “a government which cares nothing for the people is already severely threatening the democratic development of Taiwan.”
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
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