Following the arrival of her diplomatic delegation in Honolulu, Hawaii two days ago, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday met with Democrat Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Chinese-language media reported yesterday.
Lu explained the meaning of Taiwan holding a referendum on entry into the WHO and stressed the importance of such a referendum, reports said.
She was said to have told Akaka that following the SARS outbreak in China and China's efforts to block Taiwanese World Health Organization (WHO) membership, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is promoting a referendum in the hope of showing the world that it is necessary for Taiwan to be allowed into the organization. According to the reports, she also said that Taiwan would make further contributions to the WHO after joining.
PHOTO: CNA
Lu said Taiwan over the past 50 years has created a political, economic and peaceful miracle despite China's military threats and deployment of missiles along its southern coast line, reports said.
She was also reported as saying that these developments are worth supporting, and that she hopes the US will support Taiwan.
Reports also said Lu invited Akaka to Taiwan in September to participate in the first meeting of the Democratic Pacific Union -- an organization that will serve as an international stronghold of democratization in the Pacific Rim. Akaka replied that he would give the invitation serious consideration.
According to an other report, Lu yesterday proposed five concepts for promoting Taiwanese tourism to representatives of the tourist industry who had been invited to participate in the delegation.
Participating in the meeting were Chang Fu-mei (
The five concepts were for the OCAC to assist in the establishment of a one-stop window for handling tourism exchange between Taiwan and Hawaii; for the Hawaiian government to help train and educate staff from Taiwan's tourism industry; that the OCAC should use different channels to promote the Taiwanese tourism industry; promoting "tourism diplomacy" by having government agencies invite their counterparts from other countries to Taiwan and arranging sight-seeing tours outside of Taipei; and calling for the tourism industry to develop tourism on Penghu and other outlying islands.
After leaving Hawaii, the delegation has a two-day transit stay scheduled in Los Angeles before heading to Panama. Lu will then continue to Paraguay where she will witness the inauguration of president-elect Nicanor Duarte.
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