More than 60 US members of congres have added their names to a letter to be sent to President George W. Bush slamming China for rejecting Taiwan's bid to send former vice president Li Yuan-zu (李元簇) to the APEC leaders' summit in Shanghai and urging Bush to speak up for Taiwan in the future.
The "dear colleague" letter, circulated for signature among all members of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday by Representative David Wu, the first ever Taiwan-born US congressman, urges Bush to press China to allow Taiwan to participate as a full member at the APEC summit in the future, even if the event is held in China.
Meanwhile, an aide to the congressman told the Taipei Times that Wu is trying to arrange for President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to visit Washington. Wu invited Chen to visit in a telephone conversation last week during the APEC standoff, and Chen accepted, the aide said."The last thing President Chen said was, `See you in Washington,'" the aide said. Wu, who represents the Portland, Oregon area, also invited Chen to visit that city during the trip.
Under the rules governing the US' unofficial relationship with Taiwan, no Taiwanese leader has ever been allowed to visit Washington. Earlier this year, the National Press Club in Washington invited Chen to make a speech at the club, and Chen accepted. But the offer had to be withdrawn.
Still, the club displays the Taiwan flag among the dozens of national flags in its lobby, and has sparred heatedly with the Chinese embassy over the flag every time a Chinese official has spoken at the club. The club has repeatedly refused to remove the flag.
Explaining why he decided to circulate the letter to Bush, Wu said Taiwan is a full member of APEC and should be treated as such. It was disrespectful both to Taiwan and to APEC for China to play politics in the way that it had done, he said.
The letter notes that Beijing formally refused to invite Li after Chen appointed him, and refused to allow Taiwan to participate in a foreign ministers-only anti-terrorism breakfast. "It is clear to us that these actions serve no purpose other than to belittle the status of Taiwan and its duly appointed delegation," the letter says.
It goes on to say that as a full member of APEC and a constructive participant in every APEC conference for more than a decade, Taiwan deserves all the courtesy and respect that the host nation extends to other attending members. "We urge you to speak up on behalf of Taiwan at all appropriate opportunities in the future, and urge the PRC to allow Taiwan to participate as a full member of APEC, should any APEC meetings ever be held in the PRC again," it says.
The letter says Beijing's actions in APEC will not help to reduce cross-strait tensions and will not help to foster cross-strait talks. It also says that Beijing's actions did not advance the two main goals of the APEC meeting this year -- coordination in the war against terror and improving Asia's economy.
It also notes that only Taiwan's government, not Beijing's, has the legitimacy conferred by democratic election.
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