Chen Yi-shen: Facing Current Chinese Threats, We Should Draw Lessons from the Lee Teng-hui Era
Chen Yi-shen, Director of the Academia Historica, stated at a conference marking the 30th anniversary of direct presidential elections that Taiwan should learn from the Lee Teng-hui era's response to the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis to address current Chinese pressure.
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According to a report by CNA reporter Wen Kuei-hsiang from Taipei on the 23rd, Chen Yi-shen, Director of the Academia Historica, stated today that Taiwan continues to face pressure from China and challenges in the operation of its democracy. He believes that the experiences of the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, former President Lee Teng-hui's response to Chinese missile threats, and the intervention of the United States should be re-examined as lessons for today.
The two-day academic symposium, "30 Years of Direct Presidential Elections—2026 Lee Teng-hui Commemorative Discussion," co-hosted by the Academia Historica and the Lee Teng-hui Foundation, opened this morning. In his opening remarks, Chen noted that the 30th anniversary of direct presidential elections has received significant attention. It is not only because of the "30-year" historical milestone, but also because Taiwan's current international situation is similar to that of 30 years ago, still facing pressure from the Chinese regime and challenges in the internal operation of its democratic system.
Chen pointed out that from the perspective of the Academia Historica, it should not just be about remembrance and gratitude, but about a deeper review of the formation of the direct presidential election system, the constitutional amendment process, and the democratic practice experience of the past 30 years. At the same time, he suggested re-examining historical experiences such as the Chinese missile threats during the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, former President Lee Teng-hui's response, and the timely intervention of the U.S. government as important lessons for the current situation.
Chen stated that this year's symposium is co-hosted with the Lee Teng-hui Foundation because many important events that changed Taiwan's history occurred during Lee Teng-hui's tenure, including the U.S. sale of F-16 fighter jets, his visit to Cornell University, the "18 scenarios" in response to Chinese missile threats, the intervention of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Taiwan Strait, and subsequent U.S.-China-Taiwan interactions. Relevant archival materials are currently being digitized and incorporated into the Lee Teng-hui database for academic research.
Chen shared his own experience participating in the 1996 presidential election. He noted that in addition to the Lee Teng-hui and Lien Chan ticket, there were Peng Ming-min and Hsieh Chang-ting representing the DPP, as well as Lin Yang-kang and Hau Pei-tsun, reflecting the complexity of Taiwan's political and ethnic structure at the time.
He recalled that the DPP's presidential primary at the time adopted a model similar to the U.S. "open primary," where the general public could participate in voting with their ID cards, and large-scale speeches and debates were held across the country. During the primary, ethnic factors between Hakka and Hoklo were still being manipulated. For example, when Hsu Hsin-liang gave a speech entirely in Hakka at the Yimin Temple in Hsinchu, it made him deeply feel the complexity of the relationship between Hoklo and Hakka and ethnic mobilization in Taiwan's history.
Furthermore, Chen cited the views of Japanese scholar Masahiro Wakabayashi, pointing out that Taiwan's nationalism has gradually transformed from the early Taiwan independence movement with ethnic nationalist colors into a multicultural "civic nationalism" that integrates indigenous people, Hakka, and different ethnic groups.
Chen believes that the "Republic of China in Taiwan" discourse by Lee Teng-hui in the 1990s and the DPP's "Resolution on Taiwan's Future" symbolize the formation of the "Taiwanization of the Republic of China," which is an important historical process in the transformation of Taiwan's democracy and national identity.
Annie Lee, Chair of the Lee Teng-hui Foundation, stated that this year is the year of direct presidential elections, and the foundation has held a series of activities, including academic symposiums, forums, and the upcoming August 23rd concert. In the process of re-reading Lee Teng-hui and sorting out history, she felt both familiar and unfamiliar with her father as a daughter, and the research of scholars has revealed deeper historical aspects, allowing her to think about Taiwan's past from more perspectives.
Annie Lee believes that 30 years is a "half-cycle" (half a 60-year cycle), symbolizing the formation of a generation and the growth of a system. She emphasized that the 1996 direct presidential election has profound significance in Taiwan's history. The efforts of the past 30 years have allowed the democratic system to be established and operate, but in the next 30 years, Taiwan will face greater challenges: in an era of information flow and divergent opinions, how to ensure that this system can continue to be trusted and utilized by society.
The two-day academic symposium, "30 Years of Direct Presidential Elections—2026 Lee Teng-hui Commemorative Discussion," co-hosted by the Academia Historica and the Lee Teng-hui Foundation, opened this morning. In his opening remarks, Chen noted that the 30th anniversary of direct presidential elections has received significant attention. It is not only because of the "30-year" historical milestone, but also because Taiwan's current international situation is similar to that of 30 years ago, still facing pressure from the Chinese regime and challenges in the internal operation of its democratic system.
Chen pointed out that from the perspective of the Academia Historica, it should not just be about remembrance and gratitude, but about a deeper review of the formation of the direct presidential election system, the constitutional amendment process, and the democratic practice experience of the past 30 years. At the same time, he suggested re-examining historical experiences such as the Chinese missile threats during the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, former President Lee Teng-hui's response, and the timely intervention of the U.S. government as important lessons for the current situation.
Chen stated that this year's symposium is co-hosted with the Lee Teng-hui Foundation because many important events that changed Taiwan's history occurred during Lee Teng-hui's tenure, including the U.S. sale of F-16 fighter jets, his visit to Cornell University, the "18 scenarios" in response to Chinese missile threats, the intervention of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Taiwan Strait, and subsequent U.S.-China-Taiwan interactions. Relevant archival materials are currently being digitized and incorporated into the Lee Teng-hui database for academic research.
Chen shared his own experience participating in the 1996 presidential election. He noted that in addition to the Lee Teng-hui and Lien Chan ticket, there were Peng Ming-min and Hsieh Chang-ting representing the DPP, as well as Lin Yang-kang and Hau Pei-tsun, reflecting the complexity of Taiwan's political and ethnic structure at the time.
He recalled that the DPP's presidential primary at the time adopted a model similar to the U.S. "open primary," where the general public could participate in voting with their ID cards, and large-scale speeches and debates were held across the country. During the primary, ethnic factors between Hakka and Hoklo were still being manipulated. For example, when Hsu Hsin-liang gave a speech entirely in Hakka at the Yimin Temple in Hsinchu, it made him deeply feel the complexity of the relationship between Hoklo and Hakka and ethnic mobilization in Taiwan's history.
Furthermore, Chen cited the views of Japanese scholar Masahiro Wakabayashi, pointing out that Taiwan's nationalism has gradually transformed from the early Taiwan independence movement with ethnic nationalist colors into a multicultural "civic nationalism" that integrates indigenous people, Hakka, and different ethnic groups.
Chen believes that the "Republic of China in Taiwan" discourse by Lee Teng-hui in the 1990s and the DPP's "Resolution on Taiwan's Future" symbolize the formation of the "Taiwanization of the Republic of China," which is an important historical process in the transformation of Taiwan's democracy and national identity.
Annie Lee, Chair of the Lee Teng-hui Foundation, stated that this year is the year of direct presidential elections, and the foundation has held a series of activities, including academic symposiums, forums, and the upcoming August 23rd concert. In the process of re-reading Lee Teng-hui and sorting out history, she felt both familiar and unfamiliar with her father as a daughter, and the research of scholars has revealed deeper historical aspects, allowing her to think about Taiwan's past from more perspectives.
Annie Lee believes that 30 years is a "half-cycle" (half a 60-year cycle), symbolizing the formation of a generation and the growth of a system. She emphasized that the 1996 direct presidential election has profound significance in Taiwan's history. The efforts of the past 30 years have allowed the democratic system to be established and operate, but in the next 30 years, Taiwan will face greater challenges: in an era of information flow and divergent opinions, how to ensure that this system can continue to be trusted and utilized by society.
FAQ
When did Taiwan's direct presidential election start?
It was first held in 1996.
What are the '18 scenarios' mentioned by Chen Yi-shen?
They refer to the 18 contingency plans developed by the Lee Teng-hui administration to respond to the military threats from China during the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis.