This commentary, written by Xinhua Correspondent Hua Jianzhong, scathingly denounces Lee Teng-hui's fallacy "bridging the gap of cognition". The commentary runs in full as follows:

Lee Teng-hui who is always preoccupied with his separatist plot recently rushed into print his article in the magazine of US American Diplomacy, peddling his splittist fallacy, called "two states theory" or "special two states theory". He claimed his splittist fallacy represented the Island's "popular feeling".

Using "popular feeling" as a fig-leaf for his separatist acts is the customary tactic of Lee Teng-hui. The unbridgeable "gap" reappeared this time between his "cognition" of Taiwan's popular feeling and the fact fully lays bare the nature of this politician now at the end of his rope, who runs counter to Taiwan's popular will.

What is the mainstream of the Island's popular will? It is the desire for peace, stability and development. In recent years, the public of Taiwan have demanded that the Taiwan authorities adopt substantive measures to ease the cross-Straits relationship and their voice for the opening of direct, cross-Straits three exchanges (exchanges of mails, trade, air and shipping services) has become ever louder. The poll conducted for more than 20 times in the Island shows that the overwhelming majority of Taiwan compatriots long for relaxation in and development of cross-Straits relationship, they generally hope for sustained peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits situation. The latest poll conducted not long ago reveals that 84.1 percent of the public hope for maintaining the status quo, while only 4.6 percent support "independence of Taiwan".

Lee Teng-hui, however, ignores the voice of the public and poses repeated challenges to the corner stone-the one China principle--for guaranteeing the steady development of the cross-Straits relationship. In his fallacy of the so-called "bridging the gap of cognition", he defiles public opinion, asserting that "new Taiwanese have new cognizance of a state". As a matter of fact, although Taiwan compatriots still have misunderstandings and worries of one kind or another about the mainland of the motherland and the basic principle "peaceful reunification, one country, two systems" as a result of the half-century separation and Taiwan authorities' misleading acts, it is the general view of the broad masses of Taiwan compatriots that they themselves are Chinese and there is only one China in the world, any plot to separate Taiwan from China can never get the support of the majority of Taiwan compatriots. Taiwan compatriots generally hope for solution of differences through negotiations and consultations between the two sides of the Straits, for enhancement of understanding through extensive exchanges and for the ultimate realization of peaceful reunification of the motherland.

Precisely because most Taiwan people accept the one China reality that Lee Teng-hui, since he assumed office, has all along nurtured the scheme of severing the historical and sentimental bonds between compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits in an attempt to prepare a mass foundation for his splittist activities. In the process from the "grief of being a Taiwanese" to the "community of life"; and from the "common view of new Taiwanese" to the "new cognizance of a state", Lee repeatedly provoked antagonism between ethnic groups on the Island in a vain attempt to fundamentally shake the reality foundation of one China. Economically, he has adopted the economic-trade policy of "substituting patience for impatience" and obstructed the "three exchanges"; culturally, he revised teaching materials in a bid to weaken the youngsters' recognition of the motherland, all these acts go against the wishes of the general public of Taiwan.

Lee Teng-hui flaunts "popular feeling" in an effort to absolve himself of the responsibility for his forgetfulness of the history of the motherland. However, his separatist attempt has been longstanding, it is only because of the strong pressure from the compatriots between both sides of the Straits that he resorted to disguised replacement of concept and secretive statements to sell his splittist advocacy. This time he claims "using the awareness of new Taiwanese as the base, advocates giving priority to Taiwan's interests, Taiwanese are the cognizance of the community of destiny", the natural emergence of Taiwan society, and so on and so forth, his aim is to stealthily change "splittism" into the "demand" of the new "Taiwanese", letting the islanders bear his liability for splitting the motherland.

Lee Teng-hui has repeatedly stressed "giving priority to the interests of Taiwan". But the fact is that Lee Teng-hui's "giving priority to the interests of Taiwan" is not "giving priority to the interests of the Taiwan people", but rather it is "giving priority to his separatist consciousness". After he climbed to power, Lee Teng-hui has been obsessed with the splittist idea. The "black gold politics" which evoked vehement popular resentment, far from subsiding, has increasingly spread unchecked in recent years; Taiwan compatriots' demand for "three exchanges" has continued to be heard without end, but his "substituting patience for impatience" has long restrained economic-trade exchanges between the two sides of the Straits, thus harming the greatest interests of the public of Taiwan. Not long ago, the "law for the extended term of office of the National Assembly" condemned by the public on the Island was forced through under the manipulation of Lee Teng-hui, public opinion has pointed out the vicious motive of Lee Teng-hui.

At present, the greatest public will in Taiwan Island is to do a good job in the aftermath of the earthquake and the reconstruction of the affected areas as quickly as possible. After the eruption of earthquake on September 21, the Taiwan authorities, ignoring the demand of the public in the afflicted areas, went so far as to bar the personnel and material relief provided by the mainland of the motherland from entering the Island and cold-shouldered the enthusiastic Hong Kong rescue team. In order to place himself among the "political elite", Lee presents himself to be concerned with the disaster areas. The helicopter he was on flew over the victims in afflicted areas, toppled big trees, pressed down a girl to death and lifted victims' tents. He abused each other with victims, thus making him a laughing stock. He presented to be generous at the expense of the public, spread the word that he would provide Kosovo with aid worth US$300 million, which met with the general opposition from the Taiwan public. But when the victims demanded that he use the money to relieve the people in the stricken areas, he became angry from shame. At the moment, how can Lee Teng-hui have an iota of "public feeling" in his mind? How can a person, who disregards the safety of the basic lives and property of the Taiwan public, is entitled to speak about "giving priority to the interests of Taiwan"?

Disaster relief comes first. Taking the general situation of disaster relief in the Taiwan region, the mainland of the motherland has, for a period of time, exercised great restraint in regard to Taiwan authorities' words unfavorable to the development of the cross-Straits relationship. However, we must resolutely criticize the separatist acts of Lee Teng-hui who, acting in an intensified manner, has continued to advertise the fallacy of "two-states theory". We must warn Lee Teng-hui: No word and deed that go against the popular feeling can escape the fate of being repudiated by the public.