Scores of senior U.S. senators, congressmen, and other friends of Taiwan gathered at the U.S. Capitol building on June 8 to bid farewell to Representative C. J. (Chien-Jen) Chen as he prepares to leave his post and return to Taiwan.
Held in the historic Lyndon B. Johnson room in the Capitol building, the farewell party featured remarks by former and current members of the Senate and the House of Representatives as they honored Representative Chen's 37 years of service to the government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan), including 20 years in the United States.
The event was organized and co-sponsored by Senate majority leader Bill Frist (R-TN), Senate minority leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
The farewell party began with a moment of silence in memory of the late President Ronald Reagan, whose state funeral was scheduled to be held in the Capitol Hill Rotunda the next day.
Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) said "the kind of enthusiasm and level of feeling that we have for this man says volumes about the person he is and the job he's done. I've worked with a lot of ambassadors over these many years, and I've never worked with one finer than C. J. Chen."
Senator Daschle added he was looking forward to the day when Representative Chen releases a CD, a joking reference to the representative's reputation as a top-notch crooner.
One of the authors of the Taiwan Relations Act, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) spoke of Representative Chen's contributions to U.S.-Taiwan relations throughout the years, saying "this great man has played a significant role for (Taiwan) and for our country and I, for one, am very, very grateful to him."
Former senator and longtime Taiwan supporter Bob Dole hailed the stronger ties between Taiwan and the U.S., which he said were due in part to Representative Chen's hard work.
Ranking member of the House International Relations Committee Tom Lantos (D-CA) remarked "it's an honor and a delight to pay public tribute to one of Washington's most outstanding diplomats who has done so much over the years in building U.S.-Taiwan relations. On behalf of my colleagues on the International Relations Committee, may I thank you for the enormous job you've done on behalf U.S.-Taiwan relations. We will miss you."
Senate Taiwan Caucus member Tim Johnson (D-SD) remarked on Representative Chen's ability to cross party lines for the benefit of Taiwan. "The people of Taiwan have been extraordinarily well served over the years by C. J. Chen and the bridges he has built among both political parties here in Washington, and the bridges he's built between parties in Taiwan. He has been the leader during a tumultuous formative time for Taiwan's democracy, and he's also been instrumental in building economic and cultural ties between Taiwan and the United StatesÉit has been a wonderful relationship that C.J. Chen has helped to build between the people of Taiwan and the United States."
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) echoed the sentiment. "No one that I've known has been so apt and so adept at bridging all of the alliances and all of the interests on behalf of Taiwan and the people of Taiwan. He has truly been a guiding light for them and forÉmembers of congress who have been searching and to be able to find the right direction as we bridge that friendship."
Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI), a friend of Representative Chen's, called him "a great soldier for Taiwan."
Altogether, 13 leading senators attended the farewell reception for Representative Chen: Sen. Daniel Akaka, Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO), Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), Sen. Tom Daschle, Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Sen. Orrin Hatch, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Sen. Tim Johnson, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV).
They were joined by 14 members of the House of Representatives: Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN), Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC), Rep. Ralph Hall (D-TX), Rep. Tom Lantos, Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-TX), Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Rob Simmons (R-CT), Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), and Rep. David Wu (D-OR).
