The Taipei Times has learned that the US may send a delegation led by Representative James Leach, chairman of the House International Relations Committee's Subcom-mittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, to attend President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) inauguration. The Bush administration has asked Leach whether he would be willing to go.
An official announcement is expected from the US in the next several days, according to US government sources.
Leach was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1979. Among his previous jobs was working as special assistant to Secretary of Defense Donald Rums-feld, and the two maintain a close relationship. As chairman of the subcommittee, Leach is very familiar with cross-strait affairs, and he has a good relationship with the Bush administration.
It is generally thought that it would be a sign of President George W. Bush's goodwill toward Taiwan if Leach would lead the US delegation to Taipei. No member of the US Congress was able to attend the 2000 inauguration.
Taipei's top representative to the US, Chen Chien-jen (
Chen Chien-jen, however, refused to say more about the composition of the delegation, saying it would be announced by US officials later.
He did say that he thought the selected leader of the delegation was a very good choice, and that Taiwan could be pleased.
Apart from Leach, former directors of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) David Laux, Nat Bellocchi and Richard Bush have been invited, and AIT Chairman William Brown may also attend. Taipei's representative office in the US has also invited several academics and experts concerned about the cross-strait situation to organize a group to attend the inauguration in Taipei.
Chen Chien-jen said that he maintains contact with former AIT chairwoman Therese Shaheen, and that she probably will schedule a visit to Taipei after May 20.
As for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator John Chang's (章孝嚴) remarks that AIT Director Douglas Paal may postpone his planned visit until after May 20 to show the Bush government's dissatisfaction with President Chen, Chen Chien-jen said that Paal would travel to Taipei via San Francisco after his father's funeral.
Therefore, he said, the AIT director would not postpone his return until after the inauguration.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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