Presidential Office strikes back
Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-16
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – In a new book, former President Lee Teng-hui blasts
top politicians for claiming the Diaoyutai Islands belong to Taiwan, but his accusations provoked a swift negative reaction from the Presidential Office, reports said Tuesday.
The uninhabited islands are controlled by Japan, but both China and Taiwan claim sovereignty over them, with rich fishing grounds and potential oil or gas reserves as the prize. Lee has come under fire before for supporting Japan’s claims.
The former president, who ruled Taiwan from 1988 to 2000, will publish a Chinese-language book with a title which could be freely translated as “Yu Sheng (The Rest of My Life): My Life Journey and Taiwan’s Road to Democracy.” He was absent at the official presentation Tuesday due to ill health, reports said. [FULL STORY]