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Diplomat's return poised to reopen debate over Wu trip

The scheduled return to Taipei on Nov. 17 of Taiwan's top representative to the US, Chen Chien-jen (程建人), is expected to trigger another stir over whether he should resign over the controversial security check of first lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) during her US trip in September, sources said yesterday.

Chen's return, a normal practice for top overseas representatives, is to report on his work as Taipei's de facto ambassador to Washington two years and three months after he took up the post, sources said.

But the security check issue is expected flare up again as it's likely that opposition lawmakers will corner Chen when he reports to the legislature later this month.

Chen is scheduled to report on Taiwan-US ties at the Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee on Nov. 21, a government source said.

"But the report, by and large, won't take up more than one hour, while the whole day was booked by the legislative committee. It's expected that questions with regard to the security check will take center stage," the official said.

Chen tendered a verbal resignation over the security-check incident although no written resignation has been presented to the government, the official said.

During his 10-day stay, Chen will call on President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Premier Yu Shyi-kun, Vice Premier Lin Hsin-yi (林信義), Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) and other Cabinet members.

Calls for resignation

Members of the KMT have de-manded Chien and Chen take full responsibility and resign over Wu having to undergo a security check using a metal detector at Washington's Dulles Airport before boarding a plane for Los Angeles on Sept. 26.

Apology from US

Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have confirmed that a top US government official has personally apologized to President Chen for the incident, an act that defied international diplomatic protocol.

But some have painted the tightened US security checks as understandable in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, providing Chen Chien-jen with sympathy for his work in the US.

Chen Chien-jen's last visit to Taipei took place in March as the legislative committee passed a resolution requesting the diplomat update the legislature on Taipei-Washington ties following US President George W. Bush's visit to Beijing earlier this year.
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