People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are commemorating the birthday of Sun Yat-sen. Now for more information about Sun, let's speak to our reporter Guan Yang in the studio.
Q1: Guan Yang, why does a man like Sun Yat-sen hold so much respect? We’re not just talking about the masses, but also different political parties across the Strait.
GUANYANG: Many refer to him as the greatest leader China ever had in the early-20th century. So to understand why that is so, we have to go all the way back to that period. Now that was during China’s last empire. The Qing Dynasty was toppling, and at that time, there was a host of problems within the Manchu regime -- corruption, rebellion, famine, economic crisis,… the list goes on. Sun realized the only way forward for the country was to establish a government run by the Chinese people themselves. In August 1905, he formed the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance, known as Tong Meng Hui, which then became major advocates calling for overthrowing the Qing Dynasty. The alliance was later reorganized into the KMT Party. Sun also developed the three principles of the people by combining the fundamental aspects of nationalism, democracy and socialism. His philosophy was to make China a free, prosperous, and powerful nation. So this is why to this date, in both the mainland and Taiwan, his philosophy and personal qualities remain core values.
Q2: You've mentioned the formation of Tongmenhui - the predecessor of the Kuomintang Party today, as well as some of Sun's accomplishments. But it’s been nearly a century -- how has Sun Yat-Sen's legacy helped bridge cross-Strait ties?
GUANYANG: Over the years, both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have strived to improve the livelihoods of the people, (TAKE GFX) as well as promote peace and development. These are in line with Sun's philosophy of rejuvenating the Chinese nation. And let’s not forget some of the remarkable cooperation efforts between the CPC and the KPT parties. In 1924, the two parties organized workers and peasants for the Northern Expedition, a military campaign meant to unify China. Another key point was the joint resistance against the Japanese invasion. And in recent years, relations between KMT and the CPC have only gotten better. In 2005, former KMT leader Lien Chan visited the mainland, for the first time in 60 years, the leaders from the two parties held a high level meeting followed by a series of cross-strait exchanges. And just last week, CPC Central Committee's General Secretary Xi Jinping met with the current KMT leader Hung Hsiu-chu in Beijing. All these efforts are in line with Sun Yat-sen's wish of rejuvenating the Chinese nation. And they have proven that both sides of the Taiwan Strait can strive for mutual benefits while reserving each other's differences.