[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 102 (Wednesday, July 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1451-E1452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING TECRO REPRESENTATIVE C.J. CHEN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 21, 2004

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, during the past 4 years, relations between 
the United States and the 23 million people on the Island of Taiwan 
have remained strong. One of the reasons our ties with the Republic of 
China on Taiwan have endured has been due to the excellent diplomatic 
skills of C.J. Chen, Taiwan's Representative at the Taipei Economic and 
Cultural Representative Office (``TECRO'') in the United States. TECRO 
is Taiwan's unofficial embassy here and Representative Chen--or C.J. as 
he is known to his many friends on Capitol Hill--is Taiwan's unofficial 
ambassador.

[[Page E1452]]

  C.J. has been a member of Taiwan's foreign service for the past 37 
years. More than two-thirds of his long career has been spent focused 
on Taiwan's relationship with the United States, Taiwan's most 
important trading partner and strategic ally C.J. started working in 
Washington in 1971 in a junior position at the Republic of China's 
Embassy. He was present at the time of derecognition and was a 
participant in the dialogue which led to the enactment of the Taiwan 
Relations Act in 1979. During the next 25 years, C.J. was appointed to 
a series of increasingly important positions in the Taiwant government 
involving relations between Washington and Taipei, culminating in his 
appointment first as Deputy Foreign Minister and then Foreign Minister.
  During these years, C.J. developed strong friendships with Members of 
Congress on both sides of the aisle in both Houses of Congress. His 
credibility has been high with every Administration with which he has 
interacted. Therefore, Taiwanese President Chen chose C.J. to serve as 
TECRO Representative at the beginning of his Presidency, knowing that 
C.J. would provide him and his government the best counsel, the most 
accurate advice and the best information on critical aspects of the 
relationship between Washington and Taipei.
  Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege to travel to Taiwan on many 
occasions, including a most recent visit earlier this year. My 
knowledge of Taiwan has been greatly enhanced by the friendship I have 
developed with C.J. over the past 22 years. I will miss having him in 
Washington as TECRO Representative. But I am heartened to know he and 
his lovely wife Yolanda will be returning to Taipei where he will 
continue to make important contributions on matters between the United 
States and the people of Taiwan. As C.J. concludes his Tour as Taiwan's 
unofficial ambassador, I am certain all of my colleagues wish him well 
and congratulate him on a job well done. I look forward to seeing him 
again in Taipei or whenever he returns to Washington in the future.

                          ____________________