TAIPEI, Taiwan, April 21 (UPI) -- Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian said Wednesday China's communist party rule would collapse sooner or later.
He likened the communist control of the country to the "dictatorial empire" of ancient Chinese imperial dynasties, the Taipei Times reported.
He called the "one China policy" under which the communist giant claims Taiwan as its territory a "political myth" used for consolidating the new Chinese empire.
Chen spoke after meeting Ross Terrill, Harvard researcher and author of "The New Chinese Empire."
"I have noticed that the book pointed out the fact that the concept of China' was born in late phase of the Manchu Dynasty, not 5,000 years ago," Chen said.
"And I agree with the perspective that the major difference between a modern nation and an empire is how they are created: an empire is built on military force while a modern state is born on the basis of all inhabitants' approval," Chen said.
In his book, Terrill also predicted the end of the Chinese party-state.
