"Separatism Is A Dead End"

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The separatist forces and the handful of "independence for Taiwan" activists on China's island province of Taiwan are doomed to be pilloried by history, along with Lee Teng-hui, says a Xinhua commentary entitled "Separatism Is A Dead End" today.

As is well known, Lee is to blame for the trumpeting of " independence for Taiwan" because he has gone all out to discourage and suppress those on the island who advocate the reunification of the motherland and oppose separatism, the article says, referring to a saying widespread there that it is Lee Teng-hui who has breast fed the "independence for Taiwan" forces.

Lee has also used his power to inject his idea of "independence for Taiwan" into concrete policies, thereby time and again rocking the cross-Straits situation and simultaneously pulling Taiwan compatriots into danger, the commentator says.

His "two states" remarks were acclaimed by the splittist forces and "independence for Taiwan" activists, especially by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), whose ringleaders even said that Lee's stance is exactly the DPP's consistent policy, the article says.

Accordingly, a DPP official suggested granting honorary DPP membership to Lee for doing what the separatist forces and " independence for Taiwan" activists have failed to do, the commentary says.
Lee claimed that his "two states" remarks were based on the cross-Straits reality. So, what is the reality, then? the commentator asks.

During the later period of the Liberation War, some of the defeated Kuomintang military and political personnel fled to Taiwan, making it possible for the two sides to stay apart and confront each other for the time being, the commentator recalls, pointing out that temporary separation of the people on both sides of the straits can not change the fact that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is part of China, and that the people on both sides of the straits all belong to one nation and are all Chinese.

More than 160 countries and most international organizations recognize that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is part of China. That is why Lee's "two states" remarks shocked the international community. Some major countries have reiterated their "one China" stand and asked Lee to stop making trouble and refrain from undermining the world peace and stability, the article says.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin said in a recent telephone conversation with President Bill Clinton of the United States that China is not committed to abandoning the use of force on the Taiwan issue, and that China will never sit idle if anyone engages in "Taiwan's independence" and foreign forces interfere in China's reunification cause.
Lee Teng-hui is a splittist, going against the historical trend, the article says, pointing out that Lee is also a traitor to the entire Chinese people as he attempts to divide the motherland's territory and sovereignty.

As far as the international community is concerned, Lee is a trouble-maker and is doomed to failure because he has miscalculated the situation, the article concludes.