Former Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui dies at 97

Lee Teng-hui, former leader of China's Taiwan region, died yesterday of illness at the age of 97.

In February, Lee was rushed to hospital because he choked on milk and was then diagnosed with pulmonary infiltration. Since then, he had been intubated.

Lee, the fourth leader of Taiwan and chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000, had openly advocated “Taiwan Independence” and proposed the “Two States Theory.” which led to the deterioration of cross-Strait relations.

After leaving office in 2000, he was expelled from the KMT for his role in inciting “Taiwan Independence.”

In 2013, Lee again called the relationship between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland as “state-to-state, or at least special state-to-state relations.”

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council has expressed that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is part of the Chinese territory.

Lee’s advocacy of “independence” only “obstructs the improvement of ties across the Straits,” “harms the feelings of the compatriots on both sides” and “jeopardizes the peaceful reunification of China,” the Taiwan Affairs Office said.