Taiwan President Urges Faster Reform

President Lee Teng-hui mixed traditional anti-Communist rhetoric with a call for accelerated democratic reforms Thursday in an address to the opening session of the 13th national congress of Taiwan’s ruling party.

The seven-day Nationalist Party congress is a key step in Lee’s effort to consolidate his position as Taiwan’s top leader and to push forward reforms set in motion by the late President Chiang Ching-kuo. It is expected to approve Lee as party chairman and elevate some of his supporters to positions of greater power.

Lee, 65, a native-born Taiwanese, was chosen personally by Chiang to be his successor. But he is opposed by older, more conservative party members who fled to Taiwan in 1949 with Chiang’s father, Chiang Kai-shek, when the Communists took over in China.

Even as he bid Thursday for the support he needs to exercise stronger leadership, Lee sought to reassure these elderly critics that change will not come too fast or be too radical.

Knows the Boundaries

“Through my years of instruction under the late (Nationalist Party) Chairman Chiang Ching-kuo, I feel I am able to carefully examine and distinguish the boundaries between what is right and what is wrong, between principles that can be altered and those that cannot be altered, and between roads that we can take and those we cannot take,” Lee said.

“I will surely act in accordance with the bequeathed teachings of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (founder of the Nationalist Party) and President Chiang Kai-shek, follow closely in the steps of all you senior members and work with all party members.”

Program Outlined

In what amounted to an outline of his political program, Lee emphasized:

-- Implementation of constitutional reforms that would make Taiwan’s government more democratic.

-- Continued emphasis on a strong defense.

-- Expanded public investment, reform of the financial system and greater emphasis on scientific and technical development to push Taiwan’s economy to the level of a prosperous industrialized country.

-- Social reforms, including greater emphasis on environmental protection, creation of a social security system and increased attention to rural development.

-- A continued ban on any advocacy of declaring Taiwan to be a sovereign country independent of China. Some people on Taiwan, including a significant faction within the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, would prefer to see Taiwan declare independence from China. They view this as necessary to ensure that the island does not someday come under Communist control and to facilitate the acquisition of greater political power by native-born Taiwanese. But many others fear that such a declaration would provoke an attack by Beijing.

Rejects Beijing Plan

Lee repeated Taiwan’s rejection of Beijing’s proposal that China be reunited under the formula of “one country, two systems,” in which Taiwan would retain its economic, social and political systems, as well as its army but would recognize Beijing’s sovereignty.

“We have no illusions about the Chinese Communist regime and will make no compromise of any kind with them,” Lee said.

Thursday’s opening session took place in a suburban sports stadium with more than 10,000 party members and guests in attendance. The rest of the sessions will be in an isolated party compound nestled amid palm trees and hot springs on Yangming Mountain at the edge of Taipei.

Among other issues, the 1,209 delegates are scheduled to discuss possible changes in Taiwan’s policy toward mainland China that could allow for greater person-to-person and business contacts. At present, people from Taiwan may legally visit relatives in China, but direct trade and investment is banned.