Taipei, Sept. 30 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian lauded his wife Monday for drumming up support for the diplomatically isolated Republic of China during her just-concluded landmark visit to the United States.
Speaking at a news conference on first lady Wu Shu-chen's trip, Chen said that although his wife cannot use her legs, she "used a wheelchair to push Taiwan to the United States, to Washington, D.C."
Wu is the first ROC first lady to have visited the U.S. capital in more than 50 years, while Chen himself has been barred from such visits because of opposition from Beijing.
Wu, confined to a wheelchair since a traffic accident in 1985, returned to Taipei late Sunday after her historic visit, which took her to New York, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. Due to jet lag, Wu canceled a scheduled appearance at the news conference and was represented by her husband, who praised his wife's endeavor.
Chen said Wu's performance was better than he had expected. "She even performed better than me," he added emotionally.
The president also expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the hospitality and courtesy extended to Wu by the U.S. Congress, executive branch and private sector during her visit. He thanked the relevant government officials and staff members of the ROC's representative offices in the three U.S. cities for their devotion in ensuring that Wu's visit was a great success.
Also speaking at the news conference, Vice President Annette Lu said that despite Beijing's diplomatic stranglehold on Taiwan, Wu successfully completed the 11-day hectic visit on behalf of her husband.
Lu, who has been advocating "soft power"--what she describes as freedom, democracy, human rights and advanced technology--to counter Beijing's diplomatic embargo and military threat, said Wu brought "soft power" into full play during her trip.
Nevertheless, the outspoken vice president went on, "first lady diplomacy" should not be Taiwan's ultimate diplomatic goal. "What we should continue pursuing is to have our president and first lady visit other countries together," she stressed.