Former president Lee Teng-hui, the so-called godfather of Taiwan independence movement, said he no longer hates China and even wants to visit China.
In an interview with Next weekly magazine January 31, Lee, 84, said he has received many invitations and would like to visit China. He downplayed his role as the main figure of Taiwan independence aspirations, saying: "Taiwan is already a sovereign state, so there is no need to seek Taiwan's independence."
Lee was Taiwan's president from 1988 to 2000. He was the first Taiwanese to become the president of Taiwan, which was ruled mainly by Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo - who fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war in 1949.
Lee abandoned the Chiang government's goal of recovering the mainland and advocated Taiwan
independence, triggering sharp reaction from China. Beijing blasted him for attempting to split
Taiwan from China. China reacted cautiously to the statements from its erstwhile antagonist.
(Source: Xinhua, Jan 31, 2007).
Also reported The China Post, former President Lee Teng-hui is now distancing himself from what he now terms as a "false issue," according to the Next magazine.
The "two states" theory he floated in the latter half of his rule to define cross-strait ties sent Beijing cutting off cross-strait talks and describing him as someone belonging to the "dustbin of history." Lee has since then earned himself the nickname as the "Godfather of Taiwan Independence."
"Many people say I'm the 'Godfather of Taiwan Independence.' But you can go take a look at the collection of my speeches and articles, which consist of 25 pieces, none of them stresses Taiwan independence," he noted. He said pursuing Taiwan independence is "back pedaling" because such a move would "demote" Taiwan to the status of a country that is not independent. It would also be a "dangerous" move because of concerns from the United States and China, he added.
Lee stressed that Taiwan independence is now a "false issue" that provides political camps with the excuse for their power struggle. He said he hopes the TSU's changes can help the party become the major centrist force in Taiwan.
Koo Kuan-min, a former adviser to President Chen Shui-bian, expressed regret and disbelief over Lee's remarks.
But Kuomintang Chairman Ma Ying-jeou, which Lee described in the interview as lacking "courage and determination," lauded the former president's shift in the pro-independence line.
People First Party spokesman Lee Hong-chun dismissed Lee's talks as a gimmick to win support for the TSU in the year-end legislative elections.
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Chairman Huang Kun-huei, who just took office earlier this month, followed Lee's line of argument that Taiwan is already a sovereign, independent country for which there is no need to pursue independence. (Source: The China Post, Feb. 1, 2007).