[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11569]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO A DIPLOMAT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. WM. LACY CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 3, 2004

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to pay tribute today to 
Taiwan's top representative in the United States, Ambassador C.J. 
(Chien-Jen) Chen who is planning to return to Taiwan. A great diplomat 
and close friend of our Nation, C.J. has served with distinction in 
Taiwan's Foreign Service for thirty seven years. He has spent most of 
that time working to improve and strengthen the close and friendly ties 
that exist between Taiwan and the United States.
  After he arrived in Washington, DC in 1971, C.J. became the Third 
Secretary assigned to the Republic of China Embassy in the United 
States. He was present when formal diplomatic relations between our two 
countries were terminated in 1979. By then he had been promoted to 
First Secretary and from that position he was to play a pivotal role in 
the establishment of a new framework for relations between the people 
of Taiwan and the people of the United States.
  During the 1980s and the 1990s, as C.J. earned a series of promotions 
to posts of greater and greater responsibility--both in Taipei and in 
Washington--he continued to serve as an effective catalyst for bringing 
Taiwan and the United States even closer together. As Taiwan's Deputy 
Foreign Minister and later Foreign Minister, he insured his nation's 
foreign policy reflected the tremendous economic progress and 
democratic development taking place in Taiwan. And, by emphasizing the 
common values and joint interests that the United States and Taiwan 
share, C.J. helped to foster mutual trust and cooperation between 
successive administrations--from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush in the 
United States and from Chiang Ching-kuo to Chen Shui-bian in Taiwan.
  Over the past four years, C.J. Chen has, in his capacity as Taiwan's 
chief representative in the United States, endeavored to further 
enhance the military, political, cultural and economic aspects of our 
bilateral relationship. Along with his personal friendships with a 
number of high-ranking administration officials, he has built quite a 
following in Congress. He strongly encouraged and supported the 
establishment of the House Taiwan Caucus and the Senate Taiwan Caucus 
and working closely with members of Congress he has earned our highest 
respect and affection.
  Mr. Speaker. As C.J. concludes his very successful tour of duty in 
Washington and returns to Taipei, I bid him a fond farewell and wish 
him all the best in the future. He has been a true friend to so many 
American people; he is a man of principle and integrity and we will 
surely miss him on Capitol Hill.

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