ABSTRACT
OfcourseopenanddirectelectionsalsoimpliedtheROCenjoyeda defacto,ifnotdejuresovereigntythatonlyextendedoverTaiwanandits outlyingislands.LongbeforeLeemadehis'state-to-state'remarkson Germanradioin1999,thePresidenthadformallyendedthestateofwar withthePRCintheearly1990s.Togetherwithfreeelections,thismade theChineseuneasywho,sincethen,haveconsideredsuchpoliticalmoves theprecursorofadeclarationofindependence.On23March1996,the peopleofTaiwanweregiventheopportunityforthefirsttimeintheir historytoparticipateindemocraticelectionsfortheirPresidentandVicePresident,electionsthat'coincided'withChinesemissiletestsoffTaiwan's coast.IfthetestsweredesignedtointimidateTaiwanandweaken PresidentLee'sauthorityatthepolls,theybackfired.Insteadvoterswere moredeterminedthanevertostanduptoBeijingandthuselectedLeewith astunning54percentofthevote.Perhapsthesecretary-generalofthe KMTwasnotjokingwhenhedescribedChina'sPresidentJiangZeminas theparty'smostvaluablecampaignmanager.4
