Several members of the US Congress vowed on Saturday to make President Chen Shui-bian's (
"President Chen's speech given at the award ceremony held by the International League for Human Rights was very moving, and I will provide the full text to US government administrative officials and my fellow congressmen as a reference," Tom Lantos, the most senior member of the US Congress International Relations Committee, said on Saturday morning.
Chen, saying that since both Lantos and his wife, Annette Lantos, were veterans in the human rights movement and that since Switzerland would be awarding a medal to Annette Lantos next year, the couple would be welcome to visit Taiwan.
Chen met various US congressmen and senators and had lunch with eight of them at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Chen tried to win their support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations. He also said that Taiwan would support fully the global anti-terrorism actions led by the US.
"However, I have to remind the US government that although the US needs to strengthen its ties with China for the anti-terrorism campaign and North Korea, we hope the US does not sacrifice Taiwan's interests," Chen told the group.
The politicians who met Chen included Lantos, New York State Senator Charles Schumer and West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller.
Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, Missouri Senator Kit Bond and New York Congressman Gregory Meeks also paid their respects to Chen via telephone.
Chen told former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani that although some people thought the relationship between the US and Taiwan had gone downhill, there was no proof of such a trend.
Chen used the example of the courtesies he had been accorded during his transit stop to show that the relationship between the two countries has been improving.
In his meeting with Giuliani, Chen raised the cross-strait relationship and the North Korea issue. Chen said the cross-strait relationship had come to a standstill, but economically Taiwan had been pushing for breakthroughs.
After Giuliani expressed concern about China's military threat to Taiwan, Chen made comparisons to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Chen said that while the missile crisis lasted only 14 days, China has nearly 500 missiles pointed at Taiwan and that Taiwanese people are forced to live under the threat of these missiles every day.
Chen also convinced Schumer to join the Taiwan Caucus. Chen said it was the best present he received during his transit stop.
According to the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office, 18 Senators have joined the caucus since its creation in September.
The Taiwan Caucus in the House of Representatives boasts 124 members.
"Real friends are those who would open up their arms and stand with you when you are in need, and that's why Taiwan can often get support in the US Congress," Chen said.
Schumer, meanwhile, said Taiwan faces discrimination in international society. He said this goes against the principles upon which the US was founded and that he would do his best to help Taiwan join the World Health Organization and other international groups.
Chen also said he hoped to visit Senator Bond's home state of Missouri and extended an invitation for Bond to visit Taiwan.
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