Taipei, Sept. 15 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Monday Taiwan has completed almost all reconstruction projects four years after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake wreaked havoc on the island on Sept. 21, 1999.
Chen made the remarks while meeting with Iowa State Governor Thomas J. Vilsack who arrived in Taipei over the weekend for a trade and cultural exchange promotion visit.
Vilsack made his first visit to Taiwan as Iowa governor in September 1999. He was forced to shorten his visit after Taiwan was rattled by the devastating 921 earthquake.
Chen told Vilsack that Taiwan has made substantial progress in post-quake rehabilitation. "We have rebuilt nearly 300 schools destroyed in the earthquake. Only three or four schools are still being rebuilt and reconstruction can all be completed by the end of this year."
The 921 earthquake killed nearly 2,400 people and left nearly 100,000 buildings and many bridges and highways toppled or partially damaged. "Nowadays, such disastrous scenes no longer exist," Chen told his guest. "Through concerted efforts of our government and people, we have reinvented ourselves from the earthquake rubble."
Chen also expressed his gratitude for the Iowa state congress and government's support for Taiwan's cause. The Iowa state congress has passed a series of resolutions in the past few years supporting Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations and the World Health Organization. It also passed a resolution earlier this year urging the U.S. government to sign a free trade agreement with Taiwan and to help Taiwan gain U.N. membership.
Chen said he is hopeful that Vilsack's current visit will help boost Taiwan-Iowa cooperation in agriculture, insurance, biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry.
As a matter of fact, Chen said, Taiwan has traditionally maintained close cultural and educational ties with Iowa. For instance, he said, former ROC President Lee Teng-hui has a master's degree from Iowa State University and Lin Hui-ming, founder of the world-renowned Cloud Gate Dance Theater, is also an outstanding alumnus of that university.