The Presidential Office has criticized a controversial book written by former president Lee Teng-hui. The book, originally written in Japanese, has recently been published in Chinese translation.
One area of controversy concerns remarks Lee makes about the Republic of China, which has been based on Taiwan since 1949. In the book Lee says that the Republic of China has entered a new phase in its history, which he calls the “New Republic”. One interpretation holds that Lee is alluding to the five periods of French history called “republics”.
Presidential Office spokesperson Charles Chen said Thursday that the Republic of China has existed since 1912. Chen said that unless Taiwan adopts a new constitution, there can be no basis for asserting that a “second republic” has arrived.
Chen also criticized Lee’s assertion that Taiwan and Mainland China should be two separate countries. Chen said that Lee’s own administration legally divided the Republic of China into “free” and “Mainland” areas. Chen said this means that the two sides are not separate countries.
One of the most controversial statements made in Lee’s book is that the disputed Diaoyutai Islands do not belong to Taiwan. Chen said that this statement contradicts Lee’s actions as president, which included adding the islands onto local administrative maps. Chen said that Lee’s account of the islands’ history includes a number of errors.