[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 96 (Thursday, July 21, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: July 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
TAIWAN POLICY
Mr. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, we have a rather unusual set of
circumstances surrounding United States policy toward our friends in
Taiwan. The State Department has indicated that there would be an
interagency review of our official policy toward Taiwan. The White
House has said that it will come out any day now. It has been 1 year
since the State Department advised us initially that the review of the
policy was forthcoming.
The purpose of this statement is simply to remind the White House and
State Department that more than a reasonable period of time has gone
by. The revision of the policy is long overdue.
Taiwan deserves more diplomatic respect. It is an important, stable
democratic, and loyal ally in the Asia-Pacific region. It is a model
for emerging democracies. It has a strong and stable economy. It is now
our fifth-largest trading partner and buys almost twice as much from
the United States as the People's Republic of China--$14 billion in
exports to Taiwan versus $8 billion to the PRC. It has among the
largest foreign reserves of any nation. It has a much improved human
rights record.
But, Madam President, rather than reward Taiwan for good behavior, we
seem to be punishing it with diplomatic snubs. President Lee was
blocked from staying overnight in Hawaii. His aircraft was allowed to
land and refuel only. He was not greeted even by the base commander.
We have not had a Cabinet officer travel to Taiwan since Carla Hills
back in 1991 under the previous administration. Taiwanese officials
visiting the United States have been forced to hold meetings in a hotel
room rather than in the State Department.
Taiwan's representatives have been forced to operate under a name
that really does not identify the country. Taiwan is represented in
Washington, DC by an agency called the Coordination Council for North
American Affairs. What does that mean? There is no identification of
the country. It is absolutely ridiculous. The representatives should be
allowed to use an appropriate name, such as Taiwan or Taipei
Representative Office. The American Institute in Taiwan, which is our
presence in Taiwan, of course identifies the United States. But
Taiwanese who go there to obtain a visa to come to the United States
receive a Hong Kong stamp on their visa issued in Taiwan. What is the
State Department going to do after 1997, with absolutely inconsistent
policies with no explanation other than the sensitivity by the PRC?
We say that we are committed to providing for Taiwan's self-defense,
but we arbitrarily limit our sales under a bucket agreement. It is
very, very hard to determine just what the policy is that was reached
initially with the People's Republic of China. Moreover, we have
refused to help Taiwan gain a place in the United Nations.
So I would urge the President to make changes in these outdated
policies in a new Taiwan policy. I do not think I am alone in my
thinking. We have 54 colleagues who signed on the letter to the
President urging him to send Cabinet-level officials to Taiwan.
Madam President, Ambassador James Lilley, the current director of
Asian policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute has served
both as Ambassador to the People's Republic of China in 1989 to 1991
and head of the American Institute of Taiwan from 1982 to 1984. He has
written and spoken eloquently on the need for changing our
relationships with Taiwan.
In a recent speech entitled ``Who is `Kow-Towing' Now'' Ambassador
Lilley observed:
If the Clinton administration is serious about the
enlargement of democracy and human rights, why not start with
Taiwan where outstanding progress has been made in a short
period of 10 years?
A further quote:
The current administration should not be engaged in a zero-
sum game between the PRC and Taiwan. That policy ended with
the Taiwan Relations Act passed under President Carter in
April 1979. Taiwan and China are getting along now better
than they have since 1949. It is important to recognize that
when the President receives Chinese vice-premier Zou Jia hua
in the Oval office at the White House that he should also
treat with dignity and respect the democratically elected
president of Taiwan. Dr. Lee, a Ph.D. from Cornell
University, and a devout Christian, demonstrates the best in
family values as well. Humiliating him will only set back
American policy, both in China and on Taiwan.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the entire statement by
Ambassador Lilley be printed in the Record, as well as an article from
the New York Times joining this chorus. And I would note that the New
York Times correctly points out that, ``Taiwan is too important a
factor in East Asian politics, economics and security to be left out of
the new post-cold-war order now taking shape.''
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Who Is ``Kow-Towing'' Now?
(By Ambassador James Lilley)
President Lee Teng-hui, the democratically elected leader
of 21 million Chinese on Taiwan sat in his plane, on the
tarmac in Hawaii for two hours while it was being refueled.
He was enroute to celebrate democracy on two continents. But
in Hawaii he saw no U.S. official, and he met no state
official. He was treated this way because the Chinese
protested his presence in the United States. Simply speaking:
Washington caved-in to pressure from Beijing. In contrast to
the U.S.'s mishandling of Lee, passing through Singapore on
his way back from his triumphant trip for democracy, he was
met with honor at the airport by Singapore Prime Minister Goh
Chok Tong.
President Lee had left Taiwan on May 4th, on the
anniversary of the May 4, 1919 movement in China--a
democratic protest in Tiananmen Square against foreign
imperialism and oppressive government. President Lee first
travelled to Costa Rica, the longest running democracy in
Central America, where he participated as a distinguished
guest in the inauguration of the President. He then visited
Nicaragua where he blessed the return of democracy to that
beleaguered country. Most important, Lee Teng-hui attended
the epic inauguration of Nelson Mandela in South Africa which
marked the rise of democracy and freedom after centuries of
apartheid and semi-colonialism. During his visits, everywhere
except in the United States, he was treated honorably and
respectfully.
Earlier this year, President Lee Teng-hui had visited
Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, all countries
living in the shadow of the power of China. In each instance,
he met the heads of state; the King in Thailand, President
Suharto in Indonesia, and President Ramos in the Philippines.
It was Lee's vacation diplomacy with a high level flourish.
And though China protested, the leaders of the Southeast
Asian nations all stood tall.
The Clinton Administration, has had a narrow and
belligerent focus on human rights in China and has also
insulted Taiwan in the process. This has begun to unravel the
carefully constructed parallel approach to China and Taiwan
carried out by five U.S. administrations--Nixon, Ford,
Carter, Reagan, and Bush. In those administrations, the U.S.
advanced American interests in China by increasing trade,
promoting human rights, checking weapons proliferation and
gaining China's cooperation on key international issues such
as Desert Storm, Cambodia, and North Korea. At the same time,
Taiwan visitors were treated with respect, defensive arms
were sold to Taiwan and democracy and prosperity came to the
people of China and Taiwan. Clinton has now begun to reverse
his flawed policy in China, but his Taiwan policy is mired in
the past.
Previously, with this enlightened continuity in U.S.
policy, Taiwan and China had begun to work-out their own
problems. Led by Lee Teng-hui's bold policies of
rapprochement, trade and investment flowed across the strait
from Taiwan to China, living standards were raised on the
mainland, high quality products were produced, relatives were
reunited, and athletic, cultural and academic relations
expanded. Taiwan's economic miracle-makers advised China on
macro-economic policies. President Lee has, by these moves,
done more to help the people of China than half of the
central leaders in Beijing.
But President Lee has problems, democracy on Taiwan has
released voices which advocate extreme solutions;
independence from China, and greater confrontation with
China. Lee Teng-hui, as a moderate, has managed these
challenges well, but when his government is humiliated and
downgraded, opposition voices grow louder and gain strength.
In addition, President Lee is taking-on a major industrial
build-up. Taiwan is a huge market for American exports,
double that of the PRC and some major billion-dollar sales
are now coming-up for decision. Mishandling Taiwan's
leadership is no way to win sales, especially when our
European counterparts are doing a much better job courting
Taiwan.
If the Clinton administration is serious about the
enlargement of democracy and human rights why not start with
Taiwan where outstanding progress has been made in the short
period of ten years. I was in Taiwan as the head of a mission
from 1982-1984 and was also there as a young officer in 1952.
I my personal experience, which included a long trip around
Taiwan with Governor Lee Teng-hui, democracy in Taiwan has
made substantial progress, as rapidly as any other country in
Asia. Despite this, China will try to use the United States
to pressure Taiwan into compliance with China's goals on
unification. We should not be susceptible to this kind of
pressure and we do not need to be. President Bush sent
cabinet-level official Carla Hills to Taiwan, welcomed
Taiwan's ministers to Washington, sold defensive weapons to
match the PRC's military build-up, and at the same time,
gradually restored U.S. relations with China while achieving
real progress on human rights and market-opening. The current
administration should not be engaged in a zero-sum game
between the PRC and Taiwan. That policy ended with the Taiwan
Relations Act passed under President Carter in April 1979.
Taiwan and China are getting along now better than they have
since 1949. It is important to recognize that when the
President receives Chinese vice-premier Zou Jia hua in the
oval office at the White House that he should also treat with
dignity and respect the democratically elected president of
Taiwan. Dr. Lee, a Ph.D. from Cornell University, and a
devout Christian, demonstrates the best in family values as
well. Humiliating him will only set back American policy,
both in China and on Taiwan.
____
[From the New York Times, July 17, 1994]
Look Again at Taiwan
If buying $8 billion worth of American products entitles
China to flout President Clinton's human rights requirements
and still win renewal of its trade privileges, buying twice
that amount should entitle Taiwan to a little diplomatic
respect.
Taiwan has one of Asia's most developed economies, best
armed militaries and most vibrant democracies. Yet Taiwan's
President is not allowed to stay overnight on American soil,
Taiwanese officials are not allowed to meet their U.S.
counterparts in government buildings and Taiwan's diplomatic
offices in this country cannot use any name that would
identify the country they represent.
This charade reflects the long-held position of both Taipei
and Beijing that there is only one China and that it includes
both the mainland and Taiwan. Washington abided by this
fiction both before and after it switched U.S. recognition
from Nationalist Taiwan to the Communist mainland in 1979.
But in reality two distinct societies, economies and
political systems have grown up on either side of the Taiwan
Straits. And despite its official ``one China policy,''
Taipei now seeks diplomatic recognition as a separate
political entity.
That has prompted the Clinton Administration to undertake a
cautious review of U.S. policy. The resulting recommendations
await White House approval. They would ease some of the more
humiliating diplomatic restrictions now in force. Cabinet-
level visits in both directions would be permitted. Meetings
could take place on official premises. Taiwan's unofficial
representative offices could be renamed. These are useful
steps, meant to make it easier for Americans to do business
with the country's fifth-largest trading partner.
But recognizing reality should not stop there. Taiwan is
too important a factor in East Asian politics, economics and
security to be left out of the new post-cold war order now
taking shape. It belongs in the new World Trade Organization.
It ought to be included in the Asean Regional Forum on
security being launched in Bangkok later this month. And
ideally, it should be admitted to the U.N.
The main obstacle to Taiwan's inclusion in such
organizations is the bellicose opposition of mainland China,
which openly asserts the right to invade and annex Taiwan if
the Government there acts too independently. Beijing claims
that its relations with Taiwan are an internal matter to be
resolved by the two sides alone without outside involvement.
It is not in America's interest to provoke China on this
score. But shutting Taiwan out of international forums also
carries risks for the U.S. Under present arrangements, if
China made good on its threats to attack, other Asian
countries would look the other way while the United States,
alone, would find itself caught in the middle of the fray.
Last year, Washington helped arrange a compromise formula
that let Taiwan participate in the Asia-Pacific economic
summit meetings in Seattle. Now it should begin exploring
ways to involve Taiwan in the new regional security forum as
well.
Mr. MURKOWSKI. Finally, Madam President, I would refer my colleagues
to a formal interview with President Lee which was conducted this
spring by a leading Japanese publication, Asahi Weekly. I ask unanimous
consent that it be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From Asahi Weekly, May 6 to 13, 1994]
The Grief of Being Born a Taiwanese
(Dialogue Between President Lee Teng-hui and Writer Ryotaro Shiba)
Lee Teng-hui, President of Taiwan: Born in 1923. Studied at
Taipei High School (under the old education system) and Kyoto
Imperial University and later, after the war, graduated from
Taiwan University. Also studied in the United States (Ph.D.
in agricultural economics, Cornell University, 1968). Assumed
the office of Vice President of Taiwan in 1984. In 1988
became President of Taiwan following the death of Chiang
Ching-kuo. Lee Teng-hui is a devout Christian.
Ryotaro Shiba, a writer: Born in 1923. Graduated from Osaka
Foreign Language School, with a major in Mongolian language.
``Travel Notes from Taiwan'' was made possible by the
encouragement of his former classmate and friend Chen Shun
Chen.
At the conclusion of his book, ``Travel Notes from
Taiwan,'' Mr. Ryotaro Shiba wrote the following phrase: ``the
rain in my heart falls endlessly.'' The travel notes provoked
a strong response from many readers, and it appeared the
author Mr. Shiba still had left things unsaid that he wanted
to express. Thanks to the help of many people, this special
interview was arranged at the President's Official Residence
in Taipei City. President Lee Teng-hui appeared alone and
announced, ``Mr. Shiba, I have a lot of things to discuss
with you.'' The entire interview was conducted in Japanese.
author's preface by ryotaro shiba
``You are really carried away by Taiwan, aren't you?'' Mr.
Fumio Anabuki, the editor-in-chief, said to me with a sense
of amusement. As an individual sensitive to pain, or with a
feeling of sympathy, I am anxious about the future of Taiwan.
(Of course, I am more concerned about Japan, but I believe
that someday Japan's politics can recover from its
exhaustion.)
Taiwan since the 17th century, with the exception of its
indigenous people, has been a land without a sovereign,
populated by a group of ``boat people.'' It was just like the
Japanese islands before the time of Christ, which served as a
land for Asian boat people. For 50 years after 1895, Taiwan
was under Japanese rule. According to Mr. Tadao Umesao, Japan
was a ``multiracial nation'' during this period. We almost
forgot that, until the secession of Taiwan in 1945, those
Taiwanese who were born and educated in Taiwan were really
Japanese. Even Chiu Yong-han, who is very critical of modern
Japan, refers to these 50 years in Taiwan history as a period
``without which, Taiwan island would have been the same as
nearby Hainan island.''
After the separation from Japan, Taiwan was taken over by
``the Republic of China.'' To our surprise, the Taiwanese
were severely oppressed. Before long, a humanitarian
organization headquartered in London designated the more than
10 million Taiwanese as an ``ethnic minority'' who were
discriminated against and oppressed because of their ethnic
origin. Although they were Chinese in origin, the 50-year
period of Japanese rule transformed them into an ethnic group
different from other Chinese, so different that they became
the victims of Chinese oppressors.
``I want to make this a country where people can sleep at
night in peace,'' said Dr. Lee Teng-hui, the first Taiwanese
to be head of state. His wish has not changed.
For a period after the war, people were afraid of attack by
their own state. That period is over. The era of the Chiang
family came to an end and, to everybody's surprise, Dr. Lee
Teng-hui took office as president.
It was almost a miracle that during this transition period,
there were no bullets nor intrigues. As freely as shoppers in
a department store move from one sales area to another, Lee
Teng-hui as the vice president, with the death of Chiang
Ching-kuo, assumed the presidency in conformity with the
Constitution. That was in January 1988, only six years ago.
If Clio (the goddess of history in Greek mythology) smiles
only once on each country, this was Taiwan's time.
Previously, President Lee aspired to enter the ministry
``to go to mountainous regions to preach the gospel.'' Things
did not turn out that way.
Fortunately, Taiwan has a sophisticated head of state who
has little desire for fame and wealth. Some wondered whether
such a person could manage politics in a world in which
mainlanders, outsiders from continental China, were granted
special rights and privileges, and held control over
Islanders. However, as Lee Teng-hui demonstrated his
political management skills, such concerns disappeared.
This interview is intended as a supplement to ``Travel
Notes from Taiwan.'' I particularly want to see it read by
mainland Chinese.
a civilized country born of an island without a ruler
Shiba. This year at the banquet for my school reunion, I
chatted about my trip to Taiwan with instructors of the
Chinese, Russian, and German languages. My conclusion was
that ``Taiwan is a civilized country.''
Taiwan has a lot of advanced technologies, of course, but
they alone do not represent what I would call a civilization.
Let me cite an age old metaphor. Every morning at 5, you find
your milk in your milk box. You do not need to buy a cow and
milk it every time you need milk. Without being killed by
guerrillas on the way, a milkman can deliver milk safely. You
can get a newspaper in the morning without any problem and
can read information from all over the world. This is what I
call ``civilization.''
Such a thing exists in Taiwan and is being further
developed. But if France is considered a mature country, like
a 100-something-year old person, then democratic Taiwan is
still a baby country, like a five- or six-year old child.
Compared to Mr. Mitterand, I suspect, you, Mr. Lee Teng-hui,
should be enjoying more and at the same time suffering more
because you were born in Taiwan.
Lee. When I asked my wife what topic I should be talking
about with Mr. Shiba, she told me to talk about ``the grief
of being born a Taiwanese.'' We then talked about ``the
Exodus'' of the Old Testament.
Shiba. It is God who decides where we will be born. Today I
would like to talk with the president about the ``suffering
caused by location.'' For instance, it would be very hard to
be born in Bosnia today. However, I believe that human
dignity can be found in the efforts made by those who are
born in Bosnia to improve the situation.
Lee. Yet there is also the pain of not being able to do
anything for Bosnia. There used to be the grief of being born
a Taiwanese and not being able to do anything for Taiwan.
Shiba. By the way, the island of Taiwan was once considered
to belong to no one.
I believe that colonizing other countries is a really
absurd thing to do. In Meiji 7 [1874] there was an incident
in which an Okinawan was killed on the east coast of Taiwan.
The Meiji government wondered which country owned Taiwan.
Boisonard, a French attorney who was working for the Japanese
government, reported that the island of Taiwan belonged to no
one. Long before this, an American diplomat, Townsend Harris,
visited Taiwan and wrote a letter to the president of the
United States. He stated that no one owned its eastern half
and therefore the United States should make it an American
territory.
Lee. After being defeated by the Japanese in the Sino-
Japanese War, the first thing China under Li Hong Zhang ceded
to Japan was Taiwan. For the Chinese, Taiwan was considered a
barbarous land. If Japan got it, she might even have trouble
controlling it. Such was the prevailing attitude.
Shiba. At that time the Japanese government notified the
inhabitants that those who were not content could move out.
For Japan, at a time of violence in her history, it was a
relatively civil gesture to the residents.
Lee. Those who wanted to obtain Japanese nationality were
told they could stay. Individual property would be recognized
as such. Those not satisfied were told to return to the
mainland within a year.
Then came the end of World War II. In accordance with the
Declaration of Cairo, all the territories that Japan received
from China, including Taiwan, were to be returned to China.
Shiba. That's curious when you consider that Taiwan was
built by people who had come from Fujian and Guangdong in the
17th century.
Lee. I must answer that question cautiously because I am
the President of the Republic of China. The Japanese
government returned Taiwan to the government of the Republic
of China. The government of the Republic of China was
defeated in the civil war on the mainland and, therefore,
came to Taiwan. It lost everything except Taiwan. The Chinese
Communist Party insists that the province of Taiwan is just
one of the provinces comprising the People's Republic of
China. What a weird fantasy. Taiwan and the mainland have
different governments. I can only say this for now.
Shiba. There is no other word as confusing as the word
``Zhonghua'' [China].
Lee. The word ``Zhongguo'' [China] is confusing too.
Shiba. Also the word ``Zhongguoren'' [Chinese] is
confusing. When Singapore's leader, Lee Kuan Yew went to
Australia, he was reported to have said that ``just as
today's Australians do not consider themselves British, we
are not Chinese. We are Singaporeans.''
Germans and Swedes are both of Germanic origin. But when
Germans go to Sweden they do not sell goods by saying, ``you
and I are both of Germanic origin, aren't we?'' Spanish
people do not go to France and claim friendship based on
their shared Roman origin. Taiwan is the country for
Taiwanese, even though we are Han people.
beijing's orientalism and the concept of ``public''
Lee. It must be for Taiwanese. This is the fundamental
idea.
Since the 19th century the notion of sovereignty has been
discussed. However, the word sovereignty is a dangerous word.
The mainland insists that the People's Republic of China has
the right to Taiwan because it succeeded the Republic of
China.
Shiba. Considering the size of the country, the Beijing
government has done pretty well. However, the People's
Republic of China has not had the experience of being a civil
society or governed by rule of law. That is why the Tiananmen
Square incident happened. China claims Taiwan as its own.
This represents an oriental style of thinking dating back to
the 19th century when no distinction was made between a
territory and a land of mixed residents.
Lee. If I have a chance to meet Mr. Jiang Ze Ming, I would
like to say to him, ``before you raise the questions of
Taiwan policy and national integration, try studying to find
out what Taiwan is all about.'' If you are thinking of
governing the Taiwanese people in the style you used in the
old days, you would see another 2.28 [February 28, 1947]
Incident.
Shiba. It seems that Chinese leaders have not thought,
within the context of world history, what Taiwan is all
about.
It does not make sense from the residents' point of view
for China to keep Tibet and Inner Mongolia as part of its
territory. Mr. Mao Ze Dong's policies for minorities were
good as an idea. But in reality, I hear that residents in
Inner Mongolia and Tibet are going through a tough time. If
that is repeated in Taiwan, it will be a calamity of human
history and of world history.
Lee. It is constantly said that if Taiwan becomes
independent, China will attack and crush us.
Shiba. I hope that the good life led by the people in
Taiwan will not be destroyed suddenly by outside forces.
Lee. If Taiwan declares independence, Beijing should be
scared because Tibet or Xinjiang might then act for
independence as well.
Shiba. The Ming dynasty's China was a country purely of Han
people. You could find no Xinjiang Uighur autonomous
district, no Tibet, no Inner Mongolia in China's territory.
It was during the Qing dynasty, the one ruled by a non-Han
people, when China expanded to today's territorial stretch.
The government on the mainland should have asked the will
of the residents from the beginning. It should have listened
to the Tibetans, the Mongolians, and the Uighurs. Without the
strength or the idea to ask the will of these residents, it
simply inherited and kept the territory of the Qing dynasty.
There is an appropriate size for a nation state. It is
probably about the size of France, which is about the size of
the province of Sichuan. France has created a civilization.
It is impossible for one government in Beijing to control a
territory larger than all of Europe. It tends to become
ruthless and domestically imperialistic.
Lee. On the mainland now, they are advocating nationalism.
It is called the five ethnic groups, and Xinjiangs,
Mongolians, and Tibetans are categorized as Chinese. I am
concerned that if Beijing tries to create a great Chinese
ethnic group or a Great Chinese Empire, Asia can face serious
problems.
Shiba. According to that idea, it would not be
contradictory for the Great Chinese Empire to include Japan,
which uses Chinese characters, and Thailand and Indonesia,
which have a lot of overseas Chinese. By the way, Sung and
Ming were representative dynasties ruled by the Han race.
Later dynasties were created by people other than Han such as
the ancient Tang, Yuan, and Qing dynasties. There were always
groups of opposition in the periphery, and when China became
corrupt from the inside, the non-Hans took over to create a
new dynasty to bring reform. Today there are no opposition
groups. Where can we find China's ability to renew itself? If
China relies on the Great Chinese Empire, it will definitely
collapse by itself.
In addition, the Chinese do not believe the world belongs
to the public. Even those who came after Mao Ze Dong do not
have that concept. Every emperor in Chinese history was
convinced that the world belonged to himself or herself. Mr.
Mao Ze Dong could not have even begun an absurdity such as
the Proletarian Great Cultural Revolution without thinking
that the world belonged to himself [i.e., the world obeyed
his decrees].
Deng Xiao Ping is trying to establish a socialist market
economy, which is a queer combination of two different
systems. I think he is a great politician, but the socialism
he advocates, after all, seems to imply that China belongs to
Mr. Deng Xiao Ping.
We could say that it is the greatness of the Chinese people
that enables them to practice such a contradiction without
hesitation. Yet, on the other hand, it shows that Sun Yat-
sen's idea ``all land under heaven belongs to the public''
has not been well rooted in China.
By the way, I learned something that really surprised me
when talking to young Taiwanese. In the primary and junior
high schools, they must memorize the names of all the
emperors, starting from the ancient San-Huang-Wu-Di (three
emperors and five kings) to the last emperor of the Qing
dynasty, Emperor Xuan Tong. They recite them all. I found it
meaningless.
Lee. Today we are increasing the importance of local
history education. We are trying to incorporate the history
of Taiwan, the geography of Taiwan, and the search of the
individual's roots in the curriculum of the elementary
schools. What an absurd educational system it was that made
students memorize facts regarding the mainland without
teaching them about Taiwan.
taiwanese language and shakespeare
Shiba. We could not make such a statement in Taiwan five
years ago. Taiwan has really been transformed into a new
country.
Lee. It was even difficult to speak Taiwanese. When my son
was in school, a student would be punished for speaking
Taiwanese, just like when people were punished for speaking
Taiwanese during Japanese rule. Only Chinese was allowed to
be spoken.
Now I take the lead in speaking Taiwanese. It is necessary
to do so. When I traveled during the election campaign, I
always spoke in Taiwanese.
Shiba. You mean in Minnan [Southern Fukienese, Taiwan's
local language]?
Lee. Yes. That is what the Taiwanese want to hear. For
instance, if you go to Yunlin prefecture, the people there
have their own local dialect. If you make a speech in their
own dialect, everyone can understand. Try speaking in
Chinese, it is Greek to them. But if you speak in Taiwanese
they believe you are a person who is close to them.
Shiba. More than 70 percent of English words are actually
of French origin. But it is said that poetry using too many
French words sounds affected. On the other hand, if you write
a poem using only the ancient original English, it can be
very moving.
Lee. Just like Shakespeare.
Shiba. In Japan, for instance, the dormitory song for the
Third High School in Kyoto, ``Red Flowers in the Bud,'' was
written in the Yamato language [native style Japanese]
whereas the song for the First High School, ``Oh, the Jewel
Sake Cup with a Flower Leaf,'' was written in the Chinese
classical style of Japanese. Some say it is the ``Red Flowers
in the Bud'' that appeals to them more and is harder to
forget. For Taiwanese people, the Taiwanese language is just
like the Yamato language and thus appeals to people's
feelings.
Lee. Taiwan has always been ruled by power that came from
abroad. Today I say this kind of thing without hesitation.
Even the Nationalists are a foreign power. They are nothing
more than a political party that came to rule the Taiwanese.
We must make this a Taiwanese Nationalist Party. Once there
was a time when we, my generation who are in our seventies,
could not sleep well at night. I do not want my descendants
to face the same situation.
Shiba. Mr. Lee Teng-hui, your nationality changed from
Japanese to Chinese [a national of the Republic of China] at
the age of 22.
In those days, I heard, intellectuals could not sleep at
night in peace. Military policemen made raids. You heard them
banging the door. If you wondered who they were, you were too
late. You just had to run away immediately. Even with all
these hardships, Taiwan has finally achieved a high standard
of freedom and a system governed by law that, to our delight,
is unprecedented in the history of the Han people.
Lee. Mainlanders are also Han people. It is just a matter
of who came to Taiwan earlier. We should work together. There
is no need for Taiwanese to reject these people, but this is
difficult. For instance, this issue is related to the
question of why the previous head of the Executive Yuan had
to be replaced.
Shiba. You are talking about Mr. Hau Pei-tsun [the former
premier]. He is an old fox of a politician who was previously
in the military. He seems to have always been a tough bird to
cook. I was always nervous watching someone like you, someone
who is almost like a clergyman. I wanted to keep that kind of
man away from the world of power. But, in your case, it has
worked.
Lee. I still have two years and three months in my term of
office. I aspire to build a nation state and a society for
``the public.''
When I spoke to the minister of transportation, he told me
that the expansion work of Chung-cheng International Airport
was not progressing satisfactorily. If we proceed with the
second phase of construction, we may face the same sorts of
problems as Narita Airport. There is the noise pollution
problem, and opposition from the residents in the
neighborhood is increasing. What should we do?
In Taiwan today, people are very enthusiastic about
community activities. I want to see the residents, who have
been oppressed for a long time, participate in building the
country and the society voluntarily. To do that, people
should talk about the various problems of daily life in their
communities: about homes, about women's participation in the
society. They also cooperate to prevent burglary in the
neighborhood.
As for the airport issue, I have had several discussions
with local residents. There are two villages surrounding the
airport. The urban planning of the villages has to be redrawn
and the interior of the airport has to be redesigned. We will
let the local residents decide on the issues ranging from
airport cleaning and luggage handling to the restaurant
operations. The important thing is that the airport belongs
to the people.
Amending the constitution, democratic reform and holding a
popular and direct presidential election will satisfy the
Taiwanese. If these things are realized, then Taiwan's major
political problems are over.
There are three problems concerning Taiwan that are
bothering Beijing's political leaders. First is the
democratization of Taiwan. If we rigorously pursue
democratization, it will become impossible to govern the
country through talks between the leaders of the Nationalist
and the Communist Parties. It will become impossible to
ignore the people at large on both sides. There are shameless
people who write to Deng Xiao Ping asking him to use the
military against Taiwan.
astonishing the world by the countries i choose to visit
Shiba. I often heard that a country is marketable just like
a commodity, which can be bought and sold. Things are not
easy for Taiwan, are they?
Lee. My foreign policy is the second issue. Not only have I
been to three countries in Southeast Asia, I am going to
visit more countries, even countries that the world will be
totally surprised to see me visit. But I will save Japan and
the United States for last.
Although I am the head of state now, I was originally an
economist and agricultural expert. I can provide financial
aid, but I can also hold a discussion. For example, both
President Ramos of the Philippines and President Suharto of
Indonesia are having the most difficult times on rural
issues. I am a professional in dealing with agricultural
issues. No one in Taiwan can talk about pork better than I.
[Laughter] Therefore, I can talk to them not as President Lee
but as Dr. lee. Titles do not matter. Through such pragmatic
diplomacy, we can promote in a natural manner international
understanding of Taiwan's role.
A third issue. Previously we used to advocate ``the large
army principle,'' which depended solely on tanks. Recently we
purchased quite a few fighter helicopters and fighter planes.
Because our air force capability has been greatly
strengthened, Taiwan's air force will not have to worry for
another 30 years. The Chinese Communist Party is distressed
by this structural change of our military strategy.
Shiba. Tanks are old fashioned, particularly to protect
such a rice paddy country as Taiwan, unsettling as it may
sound.
Lee. We hold a military meeting once every two weeks. Some
professionals were amazed and said, ``How can President Lee
Teng-hui learn military issues and knowledge so quickly.''
They even call me a military genius. [Laughter]
Shiba. What kind of books do you like to read in your spare
time?
Lee. Recently I ordered from Iwanami [publisher] a series
of books call ``The Methods of Social Sciences.'' I always
think about whether the work I am pursuing now is
theoretically sound and historically significant. It is
biology that I really want to study. I would like to audit a
class at Taiwan University. I am also interested in further
study of philosophy and history.
When I retire, I am not going to be dependent on the
government. I will live in my own house because I have some
money saved and because my wife brought a dowry.
before succeeding chiang ching-kuo
Shiba. You still have not spent it all? [Laughter]
Lee. Because my wife received a Japanese education, she is
good at managing household accounts so I can relax and
concentrate on my work.
[Editorial staff member]: Are you saying that the Japanese
education was actually useful?
Lee. What the Japanese left in Taiwan at the end of the
colonial era was enormous. In addition to criticizing it, we
also have to analyze it from a more scientific viewpoint to
understand our history better.
[Editorial staff member]: Was it by chance that someone
like Mr. Lee Teng-hui entered the stage?
Shiba. It was Chiang Ching-kuo who took advantage of a
chance.
Lee. I was called to participate when there were serious
agricultural problems. I was a man who thought only about
Japan's academic and agricultural issues; I guess I appeared
to be uninterested in political affairs.
Shiba. Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo is someone I did not understand
too well, but it seemed definite that, at last, he thought of
installing Mr. Lee Ten-huo as vice president.
Lee. For three years and nine months he was the president
and I was the vice president. I saw him once or twice a week
and, later, when he became sick, there were times when I only
saw him once a month. I have a notebook in which I recorded
our conversations. I couldn't possibly make it public yet.
Still, it is not clear whether Chiang Ching-kuo wanted me to
succeed him.
Shiba. I see.
Lee. Although he suffered from a severe illness, he did not
believe that the end was coming, therefore, he did not leave
last words like a dying parent would leave for a son.
Shiba. It was ambiguous.
Lee. It was ambiguous. However, in that kind of political
situation, if Mr. Chiang Ching-kuo had given even the
slightest indication, I would have been destroyed. Even I am
not going to mention whom I will pick for the next president.
I will not even mention whether I will run for election. Mr.
Chiang Ching-kuo, too, had such consideration, I believe.
Shiba. It is amazing how you have developed political know-
how, having been a scholar previously. Not only being a
statesman, but also dealing with those political matters that
are not straightforward.
Lee. I have been perceptive since my childhood. I have
always thought about how to restrain my sensitivity. You know
that saying, ``Spongers ask for the third bowl of rice
quietly.''
Shiba. This is a story from the time of the Cultural
Revolution on mainland China. Bellboys at the Beijing Hotel
were divided into two groups and started to fight against
each other by occupying the staircase or corridors. Then came
Mr. Zhou Enlai. Because China is not a country governed by
law, strange things can happen. The Premier of the country
came to solve the dispute between two fighting parties in a
hotel. Mr. Zhou Enlai listened to what they had to say and
then told them that both sides made sense. Then he said there
was one thing in which they were both wrong. They asked,
``What is it?'' ``The guests have not been served their
dinners yet.'' Seeking a solution after pleasing both
contenders--this is what politics is about.
the exodus and the fate of the taiwanese
Lee. Even without guns, without clenched fists, without any
supportive group in the Nationalist Party, I believe the
reason I have been able to come so far is because the voices
of the people are in my heart. The people of Taiwan look to
me with expectation. Thus I feel I have to produce results.
Shiba. Political scientists should choose Mr. Lee Teng-hui
as an academic theme. In other words, just as you, Mr. Lee
Teng-hui, have said, you have no faction in the party, nor
money to offer. There is nothing else but Mr. Lee Teng-hui.
Political scientists, however, say that politics cannot be
practiced by theories alone because it is so dirty. If you
leave a good record after another two and half years, you
will be seen as a new model for political science in the
world. You are a rare case.
[Editorial staff member]: At the beginning of this
interview, you mentioned ``the Exodus.'' Were you trying to
say that Taiwan has started a new era?
Lee. Yes, we have. From now on, Moses and the people are
going to face a tough time. However, they did start a new
journey. Yes, when I think about the 2.28 incident in which
many Taiwanese became victims, ``the Exodus'' is one
conclusion.
Shiba. There was something I was thinking about while
writing the ``Travel Notes from Taiwan.'' In the last days of
the Shogunate era, there was a chief retainer for the feudal
clan of Nagaoka in Echigo called Tsugunosuke Kawai. It was a
small clan whose taxes amounted to only 70,000 bushels of
rice a year. Kawai searched for a way to revitalize the
fiefdom for a new era. He traveled throughout Japan in search
of a master. He finally found Hokoku Yamada, a former chief
retainer, who was retiring from the world in the deep
mountains in Okayama prefecture; he asked for instruction for
a couple of months. When he was leaving for Nagaoka, he
praised the master by saying, ``you can become a head clerk
of Mitsui.'' The praised one [the master] was happy to hear
that. In other words, in the very end of the Edo period in
the mountains of Okayama, the master and his disciples had
discussed the fact that the Samurai era was over and the
bourgeoisie era was coming. After Kawai returned, he tried to
reform the feudal clan's Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. He tried
not to take part either on the Tokugawa side nor for Satsuma
or Choshu; he pursued armed independence. But he was pushed
away by the violent flow of history--a great loss in Japanese
history.
Although, in those days, Keinosuke Kawai was almost the
only person (there is another person, Ryoma Sakamoto) who had
an idea of a blueprint for a new nation state, history has
forgotten about him. I always write with the hope that
Taiwan's fate will be different and that it will become a
model state for human beings.
Mr. MURKOWSKI. This interview, entitled ``The Grief of Being Born a
Taiwanese,'' sheds light on positive new directions taken by the people
of the Government of Taiwan.
I urge the administration to move to take positive steps as well in
its policy review.
I personally discussed this matter with Secretary Christopher, who
told me at a recent hearing that, while he could not foreshadow the
results of the policy review, he said that he thought there would be
adjustments in the direction I want to see.
Well, I would hope so, since it has been a year in coming out. Let us
get it out now.
I thank the Chair and I wish her a good day.
I yield the floor.
Mr. GRAMM. Madam President, under the previous order I had 10 minutes
and I ask unanimous consent, notwithstanding the previous order, to
speak for 10 minutes in morning business. I see neither the chairman or
ranking member is here.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The
Senator from Texas is recognized.
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