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Fans, protesters greet Chen in Seattle

President Chen Shui-bian kicks a ball yesterday in Belize after a groundbreaking ceremony for a sports arena to be built on the site with a loan from Taiwan. PHOTO: LIU HSIN-TEH, TAIPEI TIMES

Concluding his Central American trip, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his entourage on arrived in Seattle on Friday for a stopover before returning to Taipei early Sunday morning.

Ahead of Chen's transit in Se-attle, the Seattle Times on Aug. 31 published an editorial entitled Welcome to Seattle, President Chen.

Aside from extending a welcome to Chen, the editorial also expressed views on Taiwan's situation in the global community.

"To placate China, Taiwan's government is unrecognized in such entities as the World Health Organization and the United Nations," the editorial said.

"All of this is faintly ridiculous. Taiwan in an independent country of 22.5 million people. It ought to be in the United Nations because it is part of the humanity and its voice should be heard. It ought to be in the World Health Organization, so that if it is hit by SARS, or something even worse, it can be part of the international response team."

Subsequently, the competing Seattle Post-Intelligencer on Friday published an editorial that commended the good will extended to China by Chen in his recent announcement to cancel Taiwan's annual live-fire military drill.

Chen on Monday announced decision to call off the nation's annual Han Kuang military drill in the wake of media reports that China had apparently cancelled its military exercise on Dongshan Island after withdrawing some 3,000 troops.

"China and Taiwan seem to be turning down the heat. That's smart on both their parts," said the editorial. "With reasonable leadership on both sides of the strait, Taiwan can remain secure."

"The political skills President Chen has demonstrated at home could be a strong asset if consistently applied to rebuilding a calmer relationship with China," said the editorial.

Arriving in Seattle after a six-hour flight from Belize, the president and his entourage were welcomed by local Taiwanese expatriates and a number of political figures, including the acting chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, William Brown; Democratic representative Adam Smith; former Washington governor Mike Lowry, Seattle City Council president Jan Drago and Taiwan's representative to the US, David Lee (李大維).

Washington Governor Gary Locke was attending his daughter's wedding.

When Chen's motorcade arrived at the Westin Hotel, where he was to stay, scores of protesters near the hotel waved Chinese flags and held up signs reading "One China" and "Against Taiwan independence."

Across the street a group of Chen's supporters fervently waved Taiwan flags, while some others waved the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) flags to express their warm welcome for Chen and his entourage.

Meanwhile, the State Department said Friday that US Secretary of State Colin Powell briefly met his Taiwan counterpart, Mark Chen (陳唐山), during the inauguration of the new Panamanian president this week.

"There was, I think, a pass-by encounter of some sort with the foreign minister as they were going out of the hall," department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters. "There was no exchange of any sort."

"I think there were greetings that were acknowledged," he said, adding that the Wednesday encounter was "not significant."

"The exchange was brief, however, because Powell was busy, as there were other dignitaries from other countries surrounding him," Mark Chen told a Taipei Times reporter.
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