Visit China

Question:

: Dear friends: : *** The U.S. State Department refused to issue a visa to our President! *** Gee — when I read the headline I was *SURE* that it would be refering to the "President" of the non-country Okusi-Ambeno   (See the flameage in alt.config for details)                                                 reb

Response:

Dear friends: *** The U.S. State Department refused to issue a visa to our President! ***    Attached please find a petition to President Clinton, written by Taiwan Speak Up Committee at Cornell University, regarding the visa issue of Taiwan’s President, Dr. Teng-Hui Lee.    We wish that you would support us by encouraging your organization to endorse the petition.  Please contact us at:             phone:  Chaur-tsuen Lo  (315-789-3857)                     Katherine Ma    (607-257-9416)             fax:    Tze-chung Huang (315-787-2389) by March 18 to inform us about your organization, including the official name, contact (president or chairperson), address, telephone number and e-mail address.    It will be further appreciated if you could distribute this message to your friends and encourage them to support us on this issue.    You are also welcome to use this petition or write your own petition and send it to the White House directly.  President Clinton can be reached at:      postal mail:  President Bill Clinton                    The White House                    Washington, DC 20500      www: http://www.whitehouse.gov/White_House/Mail/html/Mail_President.html Best regards, Taiwan Speak Up Committee ( J.T. Gene Hwang, Chair, 607-255-3443 ) Cornell Taiwanese Student Association ( Chia-Tsung Kao, Chairman, 607-277-8461 ) Cornell Taiwanese American Society ( Scott Chen, President, 607-256-7407 )  E-mail Sub-committee of Taiwan Speak Up) Dear Mr. President:   We are writing to you to express our deep concern regarding the decision to not issue a visa for Dr. Lee Teng-Hui, the president of Taiwan, to visit Cornell for the alumni reunion weekend starting June 8 in Ithaca.  This apparently results from the U.S. "One China Policy" which we strongly oppose.   The U.S. One-China policy recognizes that there is only one China and that Taiwan is a part of China.  However, Taiwan, an island separate from China, has had its own government, its own legal system and its own diplomacy for nearly half a century.  Taiwan has a multi-party democratic system, a free press and a free market with a strong economy.  Currently, it is the 7th-largest trading partner of the U.S.  Taiwan has every right to participate in the international community.  Ironically, the U.S. One-China policy denies this right.   Aside from the One China issue, President Lee earned his doctorate in Agricultural Economics at Cornell in 1968. He won the American Association of Agricultural Economics annual award for outstanding doctoral dissertation the following year. In recognition of his accomplishments as a scholar and President, Cornell last year named a 2.5 million dollar Professorship of World Affairs in his honor.  President Lee is invited to Cornell as a prominent alumnus.  It’s unreasonable that the State Department should refuse to issue him a visa.  We are deeply hurt in knowing that he is not allowed to revisit his alma mater.  We feel that such a decision is in direct conflict with the principles of freedom and justice that we believe the United States stands for.   We sincerely hope that you would reconsider this issue. Sincerely, Taiwan Speak Up Committee ( J.T. Gene Hwang, Chair, 607-255-3443 ) Cornell Taiwanese Student Association ( Chia-Tsung Kao, Chairman, 607-277-8461 ) Cornell Taiwanese American Society ( Scott Chen, President, 607-256-7407 ) c.c.: U.S. congressmen, Ithaca Journal, New York Times, Washington Post and       other media Supporting endorsement:

Response: