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Yu and US lawmakers affirm mutual friendship

US House Representative Carolyn Maloney reaffirmed the friendship of US Congress members for Taiwan in a farewell dinner with Premier Yu Shyi-kun in New York on Monday.

Maloney thanked Taiwan for the support it offered the US in the wake of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Maloney said many members of the US Congress are friends of Taiwan -- a country sharing common values with the US in terms of democracy, human rights and press freedom.

She praised the country for its economic achievements and its impressive performance in controlling the SARS outbreak last year.

The dinner with Yu and a group of US politicians took place a few hours before Yu departed for Taiwan, wrapping up his three-day transit stop in New York after an official visit to three of Taiwan's allies in the Caribbean and Central America.

It was held at the Water's Edge restaurant, located on the bank of the East River in New York City, with the UN headquarters in sight across the river.

Speaking about Taiwan's bid to join the UN, Yu said that it was sad to see UN headquarters so near in sight yet so difficult to reach.

Yu pledged that the government will work harder in the future to gain membership in the international organization.

Yu, who was scheduled to arrive this morning, will be postponed several hours due to Typhoon Aere.

Cabinet officials said that Yu was to leave New York Tuesday night on schedule, on a China Airlines flight.

His flight will make a longer-than-scheduled stop in Anchorage, Alaska, to avoid bad weather.

The officials noted that China Airlines flights usually make a 45-minute stop in Anchorage for refueling. The airline decided to extend the stay to four hours out of concerns for the premier's safety.
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