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President Lee Stresses his Responsibility to Defend National Dignity
1999-07-27

Taipei, July 21 (CNA) As head of state of the Republic of China, President Lee Teng-hui said on Tuesday, it is his solemn responsibility to defend the national dignity and interest by seeking the international status his state deserves.

"Therefore when the Deutsche Welle radio station asked for my response to Beijing's claim that Taiwan is a renegade province of mainland China, I immediately characterized the ties between the two sides as state-to-state, or at least special state-to-state, rather than as domestic ties within the framework of `one China,' such as relations between a legitimate government and a rebel group, or between a central government and a local government," said Lee.

In an effort to calm the controversy caused by this statement, the first popularly elected ROC president took pains to explain to a group of overseas Chinese that while "one China" is a goal to be achieved in the future, there is currently the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China.

Calling "one China" a trap set up by Beijing as a prerequisite for dialogue with Taiwan, Lee said Beijing is trying to treat Taiwan as a local government, and stressed that it is vital for the ROC to free itself from this snare before Beijing's top negotiator Wang Daohan arrives in Taiwan this autumn.

He denied that he ever used the terminology "two states" in his interview with Deutsche Welle on July 9, blaming misleading reports for the term, and confirming the government's commitment to eventual national reunification.

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