BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Diehard advocate of "Taiwan independence" Lee
Teng-hui is extremely upset these days. He cannot stand another blow on "Taiwan
independence", or any signs of improvement in relations across the Taiwan
Straits, or the mainstream call in the island province for better cross-Straits
ties.
So, this long-time "troublemaker" -- as he is known in the international
community -- has jumped out again to blast Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan
and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong for their ongoing or scheduled
visits to the mainland, and to brazenly call the Taiwan issue "an international
issue".
Yet neither Lee's vicious cursing nor his begging for foreign interference
can change the fact that there is no way out for "Taiwan independence". Lee's
action only betrays his impotence, despair and frustration in the face of
reality.
Lee was infuriated, as well as frustrated, by Lien's successful visit to
the mainland, to be followed by Soong's visit soon. After several "sleepless
nights", he tried to turn black into white by claiming that the Taiwan issue was
"an international issue" which should be discussed in Washington instead of
Beijing.
But he was frustrated once again as a U.S. State Department spokesman
immediately rebuffed his claim and reiterated the United States' stand on the
Taiwan issue, that direct cross-Straits dialogue is the best way to resolve
tensions.
For Lee, there is no way to seek "Taiwan independence" and he has to face
the fact that there's no living space for "Taiwan independence" in the
international community, nor will there ever be.
Like all other "Taiwan independence" activists, Lee's secessionist
activities unavoidably bear the marks of selling out his country. Claiming that
he used to be a "Japanese citizen" when Taiwan was under Japan's colonial rule,
Lee said repeatedly when he was in office that the Diaoyu Island of China was
"Japanese territory" and that China should be divided into seven parts.
In early April this year, Taiwan Solidarity Union Chairman Su Chin-chiang,
who looks on Lee as a "spiritual leader", even visited the Yasukuni Shrine in
Japan, which enshrines Japanese wardead, including 14 Class-A war criminals of
World War II.
No wonder Lee and his followers were condemned by the general public in
Hong Kong and Taiwan as "traitors of the Chinese nation".
PFP Chairman James Soong once criticized Lee for "having forgotten his own
roots and origins". "If Taiwan was never a part of China, how could it have been
ceded to Japan after the war in 1895, and how could it have been returned to
China after Japan surrendered in 1945?" asked Soong.
It's not that Lee and other secessionists in Taiwan are ignorant of history
-- they are merely distorting history in orderto seek foreign help in their
secessionist activities. And they are selling out their country and nation for
selfish motives.
Incited by some "Taiwan independence" extremists, there was for a time an
uproar for "Taiwan independence" in the island province. A small handful of
secessionist politicians even sought to justify "Taiwan independence" which runs
counter to the mainstream public opinion.
Under such circumstances, pleas for improving and developing cross-Straits
relations were labeled as acts of "selling out Taiwan". Lee himself served as a
major driving force of such secessionist activities.
But one cannot fool all the people all the time, and politicians who cheat
the public to do evil will eventually be denounced by the public.
The Anti-Secession Law, enacted by Chinese lawmakers at their annual full
session in March, hit the vitals of the "Taiwan independence" secessionist
forces, who made a scene out of fear and frustration and even threatened to turn
back the clock in cross-Straits relations. But things did not work out as they
wished. Driven by the mainstream call for furthering cross-Straits relations,
Lien and Soong readily accepted invitations to visit the mainland, which
triggered a new round of "mainland enthusiasm" in Taiwan.
Once again, Lee tried to smear the visits as "allying with the Communist
Party of China and selling out Taiwan", but to no avail. A recent opinion poll
conducted in Taiwan showed the absolute majority of the Taiwan people supported
the mainland visits by Lien and Soong, and more than 80 percent of them hoped to
see development in cross-Straits ties.
History is ruthless. Lee and his followers may continue to create obstacles
for the development of cross-Straits relations, but they can never hold back or
reverse the development trend of cross-Straits relations, now being propelled by
the joint forces of Chinese compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.
The mainstream public opinion in Taiwan is in favor of peace, stability,
development and the improvement of cross-Straits relations. The real traitors
are those who distort, cheat and misappropriate public opinion for their own
vicious intentions, and those who claim to love Taiwan but are actually
sabotaging the welfare of the Taiwan people and selling out the future of
Taiwan. They will be denounced by the people once their true face is exposed.