Lee Teng-hui

Lee Teng-hui (Chinese: 李登輝; Taiwanese Romanization: Lí Teng-hui; pinyin: Lǐ Dēnghuī; born January 15, 1923) is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He was the President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) from 1988 to 2000. His tenure was marked with major extensions to the democratic reforms initiated by Chiang Ching-kuo that ceded power to the Taiwanese electorate. He also promoted the Taiwan localization movement and led an aggressive foreign policy to gain diplomatic allies. His critics accused him of black gold politics and being a secret supporter of Taiwan independence who was trying to undermine the party he headed. After leaving office, Lee has confirmed some of these accusations by emerging as a radical Taiwan independence activist, and currently serves as the "spiritual leader" of the pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union.

Lee's positions

Since resigning the chairman of KMT, Lee has actively campaigned on behalf of pan-green coalition candidates and has actively opposed candidates of his former party, who took pro-unification positions, during the presidential elections. He has stated a number of political positions and ideas which he did not mention while he was President, but which he appeared to have privately maintained.

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Lee has publicly stated that he supports changing the name of the country from the Republic of China to the Republic of Taiwan and opposes increased economic ties with mainland China. The latter two positions conflict with the positions of the ruling party, supported by the more moderate supporters of Taiwan independence, and also conflicts with incumbent R.O.C. President Chen Shui-bian. These differences in positions have been played down in the public.

Related Topics:
Republic of Taiwan - Mainland China - Taiwan independence - Chen Shui-bian

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Lee has also stated that he believes that Taiwan cannot avoid being assimilated into the People's Republic of China unless it completely rejects a Chinese identity, and that he believes that it is essential that Taiwanese unite and develop a unified identity other than the Chinese one. Furthermore, in reference to Mainlanders, he believes that to be truly Taiwanese, one must assume a "New Taiwanese" identity.

Related Topics:
People's Republic of China - Mainlander

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He dismisses both the notion that this strategy will trigger a war with the PRC and the notion that Taiwan benefits economically by developing economic ties with the PRC. His argument is that the PRC is a paper tiger and that both its military and economic strength have been far overestimated. He asserts that when presented with a united and assertive Taiwan, Taiwan will receive support from the international community and also from the United States; and that the PRC will be forced to back down. He also believes that the PRC economy is doomed to collapse and therefore integrating Taiwan into the PRC economy is unwise.

Related Topics:
Paper tiger - United States

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During the 2004 Presidential campaign, President Chen Shui-bian publicly campaigned with Lee Teng-hui and developed a campaign platform, including a call for a new constitution adopted by referendum, which could be interpreted as an opportunity to make the symbolic changes which Lee supports. There was a widespread worry, especially in the United States and in the People's Republic of China that Chen would be supportive of Lee's positions, a belief which was reinforced by Lee's own actions while President and by Lee's public statements that Chen Shui-bian agreed with him.

Related Topics:
2004 Presidential campaign - Chen Shui-bian - United States - People's Republic of China

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The shared worry between the U.S. and the P.R.C. about the possible unilateral change of cross-strait status quo by President Chen has led to a public rebuke of Chen from the United States President George W. Bush in December 2003. It is believed that this rebuke in part intended to challenge the notion, which Lee had advanced, that American support of Taiwan was unconditional. After his close election in March 2004, Chen has quietly distanced himself from Lee, by explicitly stating that Chen's constitutional reforms will not include a rename of the ROC and by stating a desire to establish greater economic links with Mainland China.

Related Topics:
Status quo - George W. Bush

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Japanese connection

Despite of Taiwan's history of Japanese military occupation from 1895 to 1945, Lee, whose father was a low-level Japanese police aide, never tried to hide his pro-Japan sentiment. He spoke fondly of his Japanese education and upbringing. Lee also tried repeatedly to assure the public that Japan will support Taiwan were Taiwan to announce her sovereignty, a stance not held by most political observers.

Related Topics:
1895 - 1945

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His Japan-leaning attitude can be illustrated by some of his post-retirement eccentric behaviors. For example, he "cosplayed" Edajima Heihachi (?????), a hawkish principal in a boy's school, Japanese manga character from the manga Sakigake!! Otokojuku (?!!??) (Shonen Jump) as an advertisement of his personal political website and "school" (????) in late 2004. Later, he gives free cosplay posters to his followers and Taiwan Solidarity Union visitors.

Related Topics:
Cosplay - Edajima Heihachi - Manga - Sakigake!! Otokojuku - Shonen Jump

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Lee Teng-hui's dressing up made him the most highly profiled person ever to cosplay.

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