In what was quietly being billed as a tribute to the good quality of US-Taiwan relations despite the brouhaha over President Chen Shui-bian's (
Headed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, the US side included leading East Asia administration experts from the White House, State Department and Pentagon, including a flock of assistant secretaries and deputy assistant secretaries of state and defense, who mingled for nearly three hours over finger food, wine and soft drinks.
It was something of a victory and vindication for AIT head Therese Shaheen, who in recent months has been pilloried for statements that have been considered flamboyant, including a statement she denies making -- that Taiwan's pursuit of submarines is "silly" -- and a statement when Chen was in New York last year that President George W. Bush was Chen's "guardian angel."
The list of official attendees was impressive: Wolfowitz himself, who was escorted triumphantly to the party by Shaheen five minutes before the party was scheduled to end; Michael Green, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice's new top Asian official; Steven Yates, vice president Cheney's top Asian aide; Under Secretary of Defense for policy Douglas Feith; and Assistant Secretary of State for Asian and Pacific affairs James Kelly.
Also in attendance were Richard Lawless, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs, and a former business partner of Shaheen in Taiwan where they had an office as part of an international venture capital operation; Kim Holmes, assistant secretary of defense for international organization affairs; Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for International Security Affairs Peter Flory; and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Randall Schriver.
Wolfowitz warmly greeted Taiwan's de facto ambassador, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office head Chen Chien-jen (
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