Former president Lee Teng-hui (
While China claims to want to help Taiwan export agricultural produce to China and promote Chinese tourism, it is in fact a strategy born of China's fear of the US' military might, he said during a speech at a joint graduation ceremony at the Lee Teng-hui School yesterday.
Sow chaos
PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
China's goal is to bring chaos to Taiwan and cause the US to waver in its support of Taiwan, he said.
Lee added that a new cold war between the US, China and Russia is only just beginning. He described this as a blessing for the nation that it should take advantage of, although Taiwan must also gain an understanding of US strategy, as well as of China's strategy to annex Taiwan.
Fruit
Lee further criticized the government for not using its powers to intervene in talks on exporting agricultural produce to China. Trade in agricultural products is regulated by the World Trade Organization, he said, and the government should negotiate with China through the Board of Foreign Trade (BOFT, 國貿局) or the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA, 外貿協會) on which agricultural products to export, as well as volumes and production. This would make it easier for farmers to set production goals while at the same time protecting their rights and interests, he said.
Lee also took aim at the media, saying it would be worthwhile for nation's news outlets to look into the US Congress' recent blocking of China National Offshore Oil Corp's (CNOOC) attempt to acquire the US oil company Unocal, rather than only concerning themselves with a certain entertainer's visit to Taiwan.
Media's focus
Lee was apparently referring to the South Korean actor Bae Yong-joon who arrived in Taipei on Friday for a three-day visit to promote his new movie. Bae, 32, rose to heartthrob status in East Asia after starring in the South Korean soap opera Winter Sonata and his visit is receiving widespread media coverage.
Lee also directed criticism toward the pan-blue camp, castigating former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
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