Call for reassessment of Sun Yat-sen from 'pioneer' to 'father of the nation'

Beijing is implementing many of the ideas of Dr Sun Yat-sen and should hang his image, instead of that of Mao Zedong, over Tiananmen Square in Beijing as the founder of a republican China.

That is the audacious proposal of Alexander Pann Han-tang, chairman of the Asia Pacific Taiwan Federation of Industry and Commerce, a classmate and close friend of Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou and a fervent admirer of the man who led the overthrow of the Qing dynasty.

'China calls him a 'pioneer of the revolution'. I strongly urge them to designate him as 'the father of the nation' and use his image instead of that of Chairman Mao. Sooner or later, there will be a consensus. It will greatly help to bring together the people of the two sides,' he said.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China, the first democratic republic in Asia, which Sun created. Taiwan is celebrating the event with concerts, films, seminars, fireworks and a grand parade National Day, October 10.

For its part, Beijing is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai revolution and ignoring the RoC; it says the republic ceased to exist in 1949, when it defeated the Kuomintang in the civil war.

Sun remains the only political leader revered on both sides. Beijing hangs his portrait in Tiananmen Square on May Day and October 1, facing Mao; many cities have streets and buildings named after him and Zhongshan University is one of the leading colleges of Guangzhou.