President showers praise on the `pride of Taiwan'

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday sent a congratulatory message to Ang Lee (李安), praising him as the "pride of Taiwan."

Saying that Lee deserved the honor, Chen expressed the hope that Lee would continue to contribute to the film industry and set new records.

"He has not only injected vitality into the local film industry but has also made a name for himself in cinema internationally," Chen said in a statement released by the Presidential Office yesterday.

"He makes a perfect interpretation of our goal of building a state based on culture and human rights. We are very proud of him," it said.

In addition to expressing his personal appreciation, Chen instructed other government agencies to send laudatory messages to Lee.

Lu called Lee the "pride of Taiwan," saying that he deserved the recognition for his long-term dedication to film culture.

Lee's mother, Lee-Yang Shih-chuang (李楊思莊), said that she was delighted to see her oldest son's achievement, but felt sorry that her late husband had not lived to see his success.

Lee-Yang, who visited her youngest son Khan Lee (李崗) in his Taipei residence, watched the live broadcast of the award ceremony with reporters. When asked what she would like to say to her son, she urged him to pay attention to his health, saying that he can only do what he wants to do if he is healthy.

Lee-Yang said that she and her late husband had not expected their sons to pursue any particular career.

Her oldest son's achievement was a result of the hard work he put into his career, she said.

"It is very important that he enjoys what he does," she said.