Lee Kuan Yew: I considered Taiwan to have been independent since 1989

Shanghaisst, 24 Sep 2011
Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew, who stepped down from the cabinet this year following the ruling People's Action Party's worst showing in post-independence elections, revealed recently that he considered Taiwan to have been independent since 1989.
Speaking at the recent Singapore Global Dialogue, the 88-year-old prefaced his statement by saying he didn't "see Taiwan being able to reshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifist the pull of the mainland, with or without American help" and that there would "come a time when the Seventh Fleet cannot intervene because of Chinese aircraft carriers".
"China has always considered Taiwan as a part of China, and they want China to be reunified," Lee added. "The fact that Taiwan was independent from 1989 to the present does not make any difference." Full story

Related:
‘Taiwan independent since 1989’: Lee - Taipei Times