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Warm welcome for first lady in NYC

First Lady Wu Shu-chen -- accompanied by a group of wives of senior government officials -- arrives in New York late Thursday and shakes hands with Taiwan's Deputy Representative to the US, Tsai Ming-hsian, at Newark International Airport. PHOTO: LIU HSIN-TE, TAIPEI TIMES

Taiwan's First Lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) arrived in New York late Thursday to a warm greeting by a number of overseas Taiwanese community representatives.

She was scheduled to deliver her first speech in the US late yesterday at the National Arts Club, during which she will explain Taiwan's democratic achievements as well as its contributions to the international community.

She will also express regret that Taiwan has still failed to be accepted into the UN.

Leading a 20-plus members delegation predominantly made up of wives of senior government officials, Wu, on behalf of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), landed at Newark Airport.

Barbara Jane Schrage, acting managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, and Chen Chien-jen (程建人), Taiwan's representative to the US warmly welcomed Wu on arrival.

The wheelchair-bound first lady went by limousine to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, where a number of Taiwanese enthusiastically shouted "welcome to the first lady," and "Welcome A-bian Sao" (wife of President Chen).

Wu is scheduled to visit three major US cities -- New York, Washington and Los Angeles, where she will tour famous scenic spots, meet US Congressmen, and make three public speeches.

Earlier yesterday, Wu was presented with honorary citizenship of Washington State when her plane made a refueling stop in Seattle en route to New York.

An official of the state government greeted Wu at the airport and presented her with the honorary citizenship on behalf of Governor Gary Locke. Wu extended her thanks to Locke and said she hoped he would visit Taiwan someday.

During the brief stopover in Seattle, Wu told reporters covering her trip that she hoped her visit could help expand Taiwan's diplomatic frontier in the face of Beijing's diplomatic stranglehold and help American friends better understand the process of Taiwan's democratization.

"I believe that I can handle those political affairs better than my husband," Wu said in jest, "at least I can speak English better than he can."

Wu stressed that she was conversant with President Chen's recent important talks, and that, during this US trip, the contents of her public comments and speeches would not exceed the scope of President Chen's ideas and recent remarks.

"I hope that the public would not only focus on the political perspective of my trip because I want to pay a lot of attention to humanitarian activities, such as visiting the National Rehabilitation Hospital," Wu said.

Wu's trip marks the first time that a first lady from Taiwan has visited the US capital in more than two decades since the US switched diplomatic recognition for Taiwan to the PRC.

When asked by reporters to compare herself to China's first lady, the wife of President Jiang Zemin (江澤民), Wu said that since Taiwanese can directly elect their president, she naturally has much more public support than Jiang's wife.
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