Lee Sr urges Taipei, Beijing to resume dialogue
| China
Times October 16, 2000 Singapore RELATED: Lee, who is currently in Boston, told TVBS cable news network in an exclusive interview that his stance is to rationally pursue the stability and peace of the Asia-Pacific region and that he favors neither Taiwan nor mainland China. He went on to say that if he were pro-Beijing, he would favor immediate reunification of Taiwan with mainland China. But, he added that he was not in favor of such a move. He said that reunification cannot take place immediately without great damage to Taiwan. On the other hand, he said that if he were pro-Taipei, then he would support Taiwan independence because the only way to support Taiwan is to support its independence. He added that the conditions under which the status quo of neither reunification nor independence can be maintained have already been altered, referring to Beijing's furious response when former Republic of China President Lee Teng-hui announced his "special state-to-state theory" last July. The former Singapore prime minister, who visited Taiwan last month, recommended that no matter how Taipei or Beijing chooses to interpret the so-called 1992 consensus, they should still return to it. He added that ROC President Chen Shui-bian will not be more pro-independence than the former president, so there is no reason why Taiwan should not return to the 1992 foundation that allowed both sides to maintain dialogue. |