Lee Teng-hui, Seller of China's National Interest: People's Daily
The People's Daily today carries a commentary titled "the Seller of the Interest of the Chinese Nation," the third of a series of commentaries issued by the paper to denounce Lee's "two-states" remarks.
Lee Teng-hui made the "two-states" statement to split the motherland at a time when he is about to fade from the limelight, and thus has made himself a complete opponent of the entire Chinese people, the commentary says.
The long history of the Chinese nation has been dominated by seeking unity, the paper says, noting that China has immense vitality and cohesive force.
The commentary says that China has never been separated for long, despite numerous foreign invasions and internal struggles, and stresses that the unity of the motherland is the supreme interest and a common and sacred goal of the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.
The man-made separation of the two sides over the past five decades stands against the interest of the Chinese nation, the commentary says. Lee Teng-hui has moved against the trends of history, as all the Chinese people everywhere look forward to the reunification of the motherland.
The paper points out that the leaders of Taiwan before Lee Teng-hui, though having serious political disputes with the mainland, consistently said that there is only one China. Lee Teng-hui, however, has gradually abandoned the principle of "one China" and has attempted to split Taiwan from the motherland step by step, ever since he took power.
Lee has supported "Taiwan Independence" elements by legalizing their status in the island, and has caused trouble for cross- Straits relations consistently, the paper emphasizes.
This time, Lee has thoroughly exposed his separatist essence by attempting to reposition relations between the mainland and Taiwan by proposing the "state-to-state, or at least special state-to- state relations" concept.
Lee, like other "Taiwan Independence" elements, fears a powerful motherland, the paper says, adding that a powerful China is the most effective hindrance to these elements. Lee has echoed international anti-China sentiments by drumming up the specter of "China menace" in an attempt to hamper the reinvigoration of China.
For years, Lee has spared no efforts, with his power and resources, to pit the "Taiwan people" against the "Chinese people".
But no one can block or sever the kinship between the people of the two sides, the paper says, quoting official figures that more than 14 million Taiwan compatriots have visited the mainland and their ancestral homes, invested and done business here, and engaged in exchanges of many kinds.
Without the backing of the motherland, Taiwan will be captured by hegemonists, and the island province, if it falls into the hands of foreign enemies or separatists, would become a springboard or stronghold for foreign invaders, the paper comments.
The commentary quotes President Jiang Zemin as saying, in his phone-talk with US President Bill Clinton, China will never sit idle if some people engage in seeking 'Taiwan's independence' or foreign forces interfere in China's cause of reunification. (Xinhua)
Opinion 1999-09-12 Page4
Copyright by People's Daily Online
Email:English@peopledaily.com.cn
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