Godfather of Taiwan independence warms up to China

Taipei -- Former president Lee Teng-hui, the so-called godfather of Taiwan independence movement, said he no longer hates China and even wants to visit China.

In an interview with NEXT weekly magazine Wednesday, Lee, 84, said he has received many invitations and would like to visit China.

"If I can make the trip, I would like to visit all the places which were visited by Confucius," Lee said.

He downplayed his role as the main figure of Taiwan independence aspirations, saying: "Taiwan is already a sovereign state, so there is no need to seek Taiwan's independence."

Lee was Taiwan's president from 1988 to 2000. He was the first Taiwanese to become the president of Taiwan, which was ruled mainly by Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo - who fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war in 1949.

Lee abandoned the Chiang government's goal of recovering the mainland and advocated Taiwan independence, triggering sharp reaction from China. Beijing blasted him for attempting to split Taiwan from China and fired missiles in Taiwan waters in late 1995 and early 1996 to warn Lee.

China reacted cautiously to the statements from its erstwhile antagonist.

"We have noticed the news report. We will cautiously monitor (Lee's words and action)," said Yang Yi, spokesman for China's State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office.