Dear Mr. Trent Lott,
　　 Mr. Denny Hastert,
　　 Mr. Prime Minister Tony Blair,
　　 Mr. President Jacques Chirac,
　　 Mr. Chancellor Gerhard Schr(der,
　　 Mr. Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi,

Many people critics of President Lee Teng-hui accuse him of being a separatist trying to make Taiwan an independent nation. But as we have known that a recent statement by the President has proved the criticism unfair.

In an interview with a British journalist on Friday (Feb. 26, 1999), Lee pointed out that "China's reunification is inevitable" even though there is no timetable for the event. He also states that reunification will take place when the Chinese mainland becomes a democratic and free society.

"The Chinese communists have never renounced the use of force against Taiwan because they are afraid Taiwan will declare independence," the President said, "in fact, the Republic of China has been in existence for 88 years and has been a sovereign state. It need not declare independence at all".

The President, at the same time, urged mainland Chinese authorities to face the reality that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are now separately governed without either side holding sway over the other. He expressed the hope that the on-going military confrontation will be replaced by peace talks as the solution to the reunification issue.

It is worth mentioning that the responsibility for successful and early reunification of the nation lies mainly with Beijing, whose attitudes and behavior at present are among the chief obstacles to national reunion.

For one thing, the communist authorities still insist that Taiwan is part of China under their jurisdiction. In fact, PRC has never for one day ruled the island, and the government of the ROC in Taiwan has been in existence long before the communists came to power on the mainland in 1949.

Due to the perspective of the communist authorities, they have been employing every means to strife and isolate the ROC internationally and they threaten to take military action or other retaliatory steps whenever Taiwan establishes friendly relations with foreign countries.

This obnoxious policy has caused much resentment on this island. It is making the worthy goal of national reunification much harder to achieve than it otherwise would be. Those who have a profound knowledge of modern Chinese history must agree with President Lee that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are bound to reunify, but a foolish and sadistic way to solve the Cross-Strait conflict.

Only a peaceful approach in the form of visits and friendly interaction as well as negotiations is the right answer to the present predicament.

Taiwan condition needs your concern that President Lee's term of office will come to and end soon.

Taiwan should be supported by any free and democratic countries in the world.
God be with you, and good happy Chinese New Year.