More than 600 Taiwanese residents in the Greater New York area attended a fund-raiser Friday to show their support for a newly founded organization to lobby for Taiwan's cause in the US.
Through donations and a bazaar, the fundraiser managed to raise over US$250,000 for the US Formosa Foundation, organizers said.
In a video shown at the fund-raiser banquet, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) expressed his gratitude to overseas Taiwanese for their long-term contributions to the development of the country.
Chen said that Taiwan needs a stable and safe environment to allow democracy to take root.
"During the process, American support plays a vital role," Chen noted, urging overseas Taiwanese communities to make efforts to strengthen Taiwan's ties with the US.
He also attributed the US government's dignified treatment during two stop-overs he made in New York to help from the overseas Taiwanese community.
Meanwhile, Senior Presidential Adviser Peng Ming-min (彭明敏), who was present at the banquet, said the DPP experienced a hard time pursuing democracy under the former KMT government. He said he is confident that democracy will go on, no matter who runs the government.
The US Formosa Foundation aims to collect US$3 million a year for its lobbying work.
The priority is to persuade the US Congress to change the Taiwan Relations Act to give increased protection to Taiwan should China try to use military force to bring about unification.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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