Former Premier Hau Pei-tsun, a four-star general-turned- politician, has expressed concern that school textbook accounts of the history and geography of the Republic of China might be misleading the younger generation as to their knowledge about their country.

In a letter to the editor of the United Daily News (UDN), Hau, who was premier from 1990-1993, voiced his worry about how his granddaughter's history and geography textbooks ambiguously describe the country's recent history and geography.

In the letter, Hau questioned why the textbooks constantly use the term "Taiwan area," which he said confuses students about where their country -- the Republic of China -- lies. "It that a geographic term or a political term?" he asked....