Assessing The Lee Teng Hui Legacy In Taiwans Politics

The 12 years of Lee Teng-hui's presidency were marked by a series of contrary trends such as progress in the consolidation of Taiwan's democracy, and periodic conflicts with China. This book assesses the complex legacy of Lee Teng-hui by looking at his accomplishments and setbacks.

The twelve year's of Lee Teng-hui's presidency were marked by a series of contrary trends: tremendous progress in the consolidation of Taiwain's democracy; deterioration of the Kuomintang's popularity and the spread of black and gold politics (the influence of organized crime and corruption in the political system); a growing role for Taiwan in international affairs; and periodic and often intense conflicts with China. In this book some of the most influential scholars of Taiwan's domestic politics and international relations assess Lee Teng-hui's presidency and his legacy for Taiwan's current leaders and the political system as a whole.

The book is an account of Taiwan's evolving national consciousness told through the biography of its former President Lee Teng-hui - the central figure in the island's political transformation over the past two decades. In describing the broader historical and social context of the various stages of Lee's life, the book also analyzes Taiwan's own evolution during the past century as a Japanese colony, a Leninist party-state dictatorship, and then an American-inspired fledgling democracy. The book explores such questions as: Is Lee Teng-hui an opportunistic recidivist who is interested only in his own self-preservation, or is he a hero who not only propelled Taiwan into a new era, but also constructed a new national identity for the islanders? Are the multi-ethnic islanders culturally 'Chinese' or are they 'Taiwanese'? Is Taiwan historically and politically part of 'China' or does it have its own history and identity, and deserves international recognition as an independent sovereign country?

A well-known observer of Taiwan and Asian history and culture provides an insightful biography of Lee Teng Hui, the pro-democracy statesman and former president of the Republic of China. As head of the Taiwanese government from 1988 to 2000, Lee managed, without violence or major civil unrest, to reform the authoritarian state into a constitutional democracy with a multi-party political system. This examination of Lee's success puts to rest the idea that Asian values support only authoritarian regimes and reject human rights and political democracy in favor of economic success and military power. Richard C. Kagan describes in rich detail Lee's struggle to reinvent Taiwan's culture and political system by advocating an independent sovereign nation with universal values of human rights, democracy, freedom, and economic justice. His book offers new insights into the role Lee played in the still volatile Taiwan Strait crisis and how Lee's diplomatic skills used the crisis to break free of the "One China" straitjacket of the Shanghai Communiqué of 1972 while avoiding open warfare with the People's Republic of China. The author argues that Taiwan is a vital part of America's national security interests in Asia and that the loss of Taiwan to Mainland China would seriously damage American economic and military power in Asia. He calls Lee's life a beacon for people looking for new ways to promote democracy and sovereignty and intends this biography of Lee's life to highlight the statesman's significant contributions, until now little known or misunderstood in the United States and Europe.

Taiwan at the Birth of Lee Teng-hui The Japanese Education of a Taiwanese Economist Clenched in the Jaws of War and Massacre: Lee Teng-hui's Sorrowful Years, 1944-1947 The Making of a Scholar Lee Teng-hui's Conversion to Christianity and Kuomintang First Taste of Power Governor and Vice President, 1981-1987 The Presidency of Lee Teng-hui, 1988-1993 Leading Taiwan to Democratic Consolidation Epilogue

Sayonara to the Lee Teng-hui Era brings together the most prominent American, Taiwanese, and Chinese scholars in the field and addresses very crucial issues involved in Taiwan's democratization.

In Taiwan's Democracy on Trial, Professor Copper assesses the process of democratization in Taiwan during the Chen Shui-bian Era (2000 to 2008) and after. He shows that in several respects, most important being press freedom, human rights, ethnic relations, political reform, constitutionalism, and clean governance, democratization regressed. Economic management was not good and relations with the United States were severely strained, which also hurt the Chen administration and explains why the Nationalist Party returned to power in 2008. The democratization process has improved since 2008.

The March 2000 presidential election was an important milestone in the democratic development of Taiwan, with the Kuomintang turned out of power after five decades of control and replaced by the Democratic Progressive Party. This book address the variety of effects that Taiwan's democratic development and the election will have on domestic policy in the region. Part one looks at trends and changes in Taiwan's politics and analyzes the outcome of the March 2000 election. The chapters in part two discuss the international implications of Taiwan's democratic evolution for a variety of issues, including political, economic and security relations on both sides of the Taiwan strait; Japan's foreign policy in the region; U.S. foreign policy in the region; and peace and security in Southeast Asia. The challenges and prospects for continued democratic consolidation and the implications and lessons for the PRC and Southeast Asia are also explored.