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Chinese Students Oppose Lee Teng-hui's US Trip
Chinese students and scholars at Cornell University of the United States have strongly urged the school authorities not to allow former Taiwanese leader Lee Teng- hui to visit the university, warning that it would harm US-China relations again.
In a letter to President Hunter Rawlings, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) said they are strongly opposed to the planned visit. According to media reports, Lee was planning to visit Cornell, his alma mater, in May.
"We urge the university not to extend any invitation to him," the group said in the letter, which was obtained here Thursday.
"Although primarily a non-political, non-religious and independent organization, CSSA finds it hard to remain silent when our national interest is in danger," said the letter. CSSA, with more than 300 members, is one of the largest student organizations at Cornell.
"Mr. Lee Teng-hui has been taking deliberate steps to divide the Chinese territory and sovereignty in an attempt to separate Taiwan from China, to promote 'two Chinas' or 'one China, one Taiwan'," read the letter.
"We are emotionally attached to our national integrity to a tremendous extent and fully support the 'one China' policy."
"Today, Lee Teng-hui himself is seen as a symbol of the 'one China, one Taiwan' policy that he has spared no effort to promote, " read the letter.
"Cornell University's decision to invite Lee Teng-hui could be considered by the international community as pronounced support for his separatist standpoint. It will also be perceived as an insult to the Chinese people."
The letter concluded that a visit by Lee would not only make a negative impact on US-China relations but also on the public image of the university itself.
The letter described Lee's 1995 visit to Cornell as a disaster to US-China and cross-Straits relations.
"Although Lee had claimed that his (1995) visit was merely ' private', his real intention proved to be using Cornell University, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, as a forum to promote his notorious pursuit for Taiwan independence," the letter noted.
"As a result, the feelings of the Chinese students and scholars, as well as those of all patriotic Chinese, were badly hurt. We were infuriated by Lee's separatist, anti-China remarks on Cornell University campus and extremely disappointed at the suddenly reversed attitude of the US government toward the Taiwan issue ( at that time)."
The letter said Lee, encouraged by the Cornell trip, strode down the separatist road even further.
"Under these circumstances, the visit by Lee Teng-hui, even though not as a government official of the island of Taiwan any more, will be even more damaging this time than in 1995," the letter warned.
It said Lee played a "multi-identity trick" in 1995. "On one hand, he accepted invitation from Cornell University as an alumnus and applied for a visa to the U.S. as a 'free citizen' of Taiwan. But as soon as he came to Cornell campus, he lost no time to pick up his role as a politician who promoted his separatist policies."
"History proved that he is most interested in taking advantage of Cornell University's fame for the purpose of his political propaganda.
"We, as both Cornellians and Chinese citizens, strongly believe that the university should not give Mr. Lee another chance to hurt the feelings of Chinese people or to create China-US and cross- Straits tensions again."
Emphasizing that the "one China" policy is a policy China and the US have mutually agreed with and acted upon, CSSA members urged the university authorities "to reconsider both the feelings of local Chinese community and the global political picture" when they make a decision.
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