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October 21,
2003
The US-China Policy Foundation Hosts Dr. Lien Chan on his Visit to Washington
Dr. Lien Chan, the former Vice President of the Republic of China on Taiwan
and current Chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) party, visited Washington
on Tuesday, October 21 to meet with members of Congress and deliver a
speech at the National Press Club. In the morning, Dr. Lien attended a
breakfast to exchange views with members of Congress and their staff during
a closed-door Congressional breakfast. In order to foster a more collegial
atmosphere, the event was closed to the media, excepting those traveling
with Dr. Lien's entourage. Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond and
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. introduced Dr. Lien, with Ambassador Freeman
providing a brief biographical sketch of Dr. Lien, highlighting his successes
at all levels of the Taiwanese government. Senator Bond then spoke warmly
about his own experiences with Taiwan, and the common bonds he shared
with Dr. Lien. Although officially prohibited from expressing support,
Senator Bond expressed his best wishes for Dr. Lien in the upcoming March
2004 presidential election, where Dr. Lien is the leading candidate, and
for the future of US-Taiwan relations.
Dr. Lien Chan answers questions at the USCPF
luncheon at the National Press Club
Later that same afternoon, Dr. Lien addressed a crowd of more than one
hundred, comprised of leaders in the academic, business, government and
media arenas. Dr. Lien delivered a speech entitled Where Do We Stand -
Cross-Strait Relations in Taiwan's 2004 Election. In his speech Dr. Lien
discussed the changing nature of the KMT (which he chairs), and the new
mandate that they faced in the upcoming 2004 election. He referenced the
fact that, although together KMT candidates won 60 percent of the vote
in the 2000 election, neither candidate was strong enough on his own to
top Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen Shui-bien. Noting
that "a house divided against itself cannot stand," Dr. Lien
expressed hope for the newly formed coalition between the KMT and the
People First Party (PFP).
Dr. Lien also spent time dispelling the myth that the KMT is somehow pro-China,
explicitly rejecting that label. In fact, Dr. Lien noted, his party takes
no interest whatsoever in the reunification / independence issue, preferring
that both Taiwan and the PRC pursue a path of parallel development along
the Taiwan Strait. In order to promote this parallel development strategy,
Dr. Lien said that it was critical to establish direct transportation
links between Taiwan and Mainland China. Nothing is gained but increased
costs, he said, when both Taiwanese and Chinese are forced to route their
shipments through "third-party" ports in Hong Kong and Macao.
Dr. Lien promised that his attitude towards China would be firmly rational,
and his administration would be focused on reinvigorating the domestic
economy and bringing stability back to Taiwan.
After his prepared remarks, Dr. Lien took questions from the audience,
speaking eloquently on a wide range of subjects. Perhaps his most interesting
response was to a question about China's recent manned space mission.
While admitting it was a great feat, Dr. Lien quipped that, in his opinion,
it takes more than sending a man into space to be a true superpower.
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