Taipei Times: What is your opinion on President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) comments on independence at the FAPA's 25th anniversary celebration. Do you think it was campaign rhetoric or echoed the voices of the Taiwanese people?
C.T. Lee (李青泰): We feel honored that President Chen could give a speech containing significant points of view at FAPA's celebration. When it comes to the issue of Taiwan's independence or unification [with China], the FAPA insists that it is the people of Taiwan who are the ultimate decision-makers on Taiwan's sovereignty. We think that the speech given by President Chen, a democratically elected president, is a reflection of his constituents' views. President Chen's comments reflect new Taiwanese voices, wishes and self-determination.
As long as President Chen works toward his goals using the principle of self-determination, the FAPA will continue to support President Chen's push for independence and the creation of a new constitution. We will also continue to urge the US to give the Taiwanese encouragement, since encouragement from the US means a lot.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
TT: Recently, President Chen and former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) have publicly disagreed on the beliefs and direction of the campaign for Taiwan's independence and have traded criticisms through the media. What is FAPA's take on this?
Lee: Taiwan is a democratic country and everybody enjoys freedom of speech. Everyone's opinion is important. Citizens and the media have the right to interpret the words of public figures, this is quite normal in a democratic society. This phenomenon is no different in the US. Whether Chen and Lee's remarks are simply electioneering is subject to individual interpretation.
FAPA's standpoint on Taiwan's independence is that Taiwan is already a de facto nation but it has not yet been recognized by the international community.
TT: What are the goals of FAPA for this year, and what are your strategies for achieving these goals?
Lee: There are three major goals that FAPA aims to attain this year. First, to have all the restrictions on high-level visits between Taiwan and the US lifted. Second, to continue to promote Taiwan's bids to join the WHO and the UN. Third, to make a breakthrough on China's "one China" policy.
We are targeting the normalization of relations between Taiwan and the US. Writing a new constitution and changing Taiwan's official name are key to Taiwan's transformation into a "normal" country and it would be helpful to normalize relations between Taiwan and the US as well. We think that the power of the people of Taiwan is the engine of this campaign and FAPA is willing to add fuel to the engine.
TT: Have you received any reaction from the US regarding the name changes to state and corporate enterprises that have been going on in Taiwan?
Lee: We view the action to change the titles of Taiwan's international airport or other state-run enterprises as "name changes," rather than "name corrections." Many in the media in the US believe that the US should not interfere in the internal affairs of Taiwan. The name changes are simply changes to companies' names and there is no need for anybody to make a fuss about it.
We think that it is unfair that the US State Department always have comments on small actions performed by Taiwan, yet keeps silent on China's actions such as deploying more missiles targeting Taiwan or enacting the "Anti-Secession" Law.
TT: We are curious about the actual ways that FAPA advocates its objectives in the US and how they work?
Lee: FAPA has 56 chapters spread across the US and about 2,000 to 3,000 members. Our grassroots power is strong. We encourage our members to resort to any means possible to achieve FAPA's goals. We hold many conferences, visit US governmental departments and hold all kinds of activities to advocate our ideas to Americans.
For example, we just held a symposium on the 228 Incident at the Brookings Institute two weeks ago. We also held a forum at the Congress building on the news that China had successfully used a missile to destroy an orbiting satellite in January. Many assistants to representatives, academics and officials attended this forum. We educated the US media and congressional assistants at the same time. I would also like to clarify that FAPA is an advocacy and non-profit group, rather than a lobby organization.
TT: Have you noticed that there is a trend for the US representatives or senators to lean towards China? Is it true that the Taiwan issue, as some media outlets have claimed, is not an issue to the US anymore?
Lee: My observation is that the US still gives Taiwan very solid support. The US concern for Taiwan has not changed. There is no doubt that China is becoming more important and enhancing its diplomatic ties with Washington and that might lead some to get the impression that the US is increasing its support of China and decreasing its support of Taiwan. But I don't think that is a correct interpretation. China has formal diplomatic relations with the US and realizes that it is important to obtain the support of the US. There was once an argument that "the shortcut from Beijing to Taipei is not via the Taiwan Strait but from Beijing to Washington."
We have also seen that China recently established a new organization in the US whose function is similar to that of FAPA. This new organization has plenty of funds and four times the manpower that we do. So you can understand the challenge that FAPA now faces in the US. We really hope that the people of Taiwan will give us more support and encouragement.
TT: Facing China's strong economic power and increasing military force, what advantages or bargaining chips does Taiwan have when fighting for international recognition?
Lee: Taiwan's democracy, freedom and self-determination are the noblest advantages. Taiwan's strategic position and economic power are also valuable bargaining chips. China's human rights record is its achilles heel. We should not underestimate the important role that Taiwan plays.
TT: Many pro-independence groups are facing a problem when it comes to recruiting young people. Does FAPA also share those concerns? How can you attract youngsters who identify with your beliefs?
Lee: FAPA does have similar concerns, but we have started to solve the problem. FAPA has established an arm called the "Young Professional Group [YPG]". Members of the YPG are young Taiwanese who are college students, graduates or young professionals in the US. The YPG so far has recruited about 300 members. We encourage the younger generation to acknowledge their Taiwanese roots and not to forget their roots no matter where they are and how successful they are.
TT: What are your expectations of Taiwan's next president? What kind of leader does Taiwan need today?
Lee: FAPA will support the new president, whether he or she is from the pan-blue or the pan-green camp, as long as he or she identifies with FAPA's objectives. FAPA will support any decision made by the Taiwanese people -- independence or unification -- as long as it is based on the principle of self-determination. We do not expect or want people to label FAPA. We hope that the new leader understands the history of the country and creates in Taiwan a first class nation. I hope the new president will have insight and vision and I hope the voters do not elect candidates who attack others with abusive language.
Some people have said that the 21st century will be China's century. But from our perspective, we don't think that is possible. It is a fair and equal society that determines whether a country is powerful and prosperous, not money. The reason that the US became so strong during the past 300 years is because of it's sound governmental system. If we scrutinize China's systems -- its social system or their law and order -- we doubt if China can really become a superpower in the world.
Many people have asked me whether the US would help Taiwan if Taiwan faced a crisis. FAPA believes that the Taiwan Relations Act has already specified that the security of Taiwan is of great concern to the US. FAPA is also pushing the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act (台灣安全加強法), which aims to promote the protection of Taiwan.
But we are concerned that the arms sale bills have been vetoed sixty times by the Legislative Yuan. This misleads people in the US in to thinking that the Taiwanese are not committed to self-defense. That is not the fault of the Taiwanese people, but they are responsible for the election of legislators. We hope the people of Taiwan will make wise choices in the upcoming legislative elections. We believe in an old saying: "God helps those who help themselves."
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