Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui isit Thomas Jefferson Memorial to read original draft of USA Declaration of Independence.

President Lee visit Thomas Jefferson Memorial to read original draft of USA Declaration of Independence.

Taiwan president urging Taiwan's people to look to USA for inspiration on how to forge their national identity

[ www.taiwanpresident.org ]

台灣總統李登輝到美國費城參觀獨立聖地自由鐘，受到大批媒體的歡迎 Oct 19, 2005

President Lee visit Thomas Jefferson Memorial to read original draft of USA Declaration of Independence.

Taiwan president urging Taiwan's people to look to USA for inspiration on how to forge their national identity

President Lee visit Thomas Jefferson Memorial to read original draft of USA Declaration of Independence. Taiwan president urging Taiwan's people to look to USA for inspiration on how to forge their national identity

Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui lauded the Declaration of Independence that founded the US, urge Taiwanese should have their own vision to forge national identity. Lee was in Washington Oct 19, 2005 , after traveling from New York and Philadelphia, to visit the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the US National Archives, which houses the original draft of the Declaration of Independence. Standing across from the White House, Lee shared his thoughts with the media after touring the memorial. President Lee Teng- made a stopover in Philadelphia en route from New York to Washington, visiting the Liberty Bell, the symbol of American independence. "It is not only the Declaration of Independence but also the US Constitution that helped the US break from Great Britain. The Constitution, compiled and written by the democratic pioneers of the US, is tremendously far-reaching and philosophical and heralded a new direction for the US," Americans should be proud of their national heritage, Lee said, adding that the documents enabled the American people to understand the importance of national identity. However, he said, it was a shame that Taiwan has failed to make its own nationals understand what direction the nation is pursuing. Lee said the ideals and philosophy of the founding fathers of the US made the nation great. But he said that Taiwanese are yet to fully identify with their own nation and do not fully understand their own history. As a result, Taiwanese do not know how hard their ancestors worked to make the nation what it is now, he said. Lee said that Taiwan, like the US, is an immigrant society and that its people are determined to pursue freedom. What matters the most, he said, is to allow people to understand the importance of national identity and the direction the nation is attempting to forge for itself, he said.

It is time for Taiwan to change the country's official title to "Republic of Taiwan,"

Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui said in a Washington Post interview

Taiwan is an independent country and what needs to be done now in keeping with reality is to change the country's official title from "Republic of China" to "Republic of Taiwan," former president Lee Teng-hui said in a Washington Post interview. The former president made the remark in an interview with the Washington Post, which published the report yesterday. "Taiwan is already an independent country," Lee said in the interview with the Post during his ongoing tour in Washington. What is needed now is for the formal name "Republic of China" to be dropped in favor of the reality, the Republic of Taiwan, Lee said, according to the Post report. Also, the growing military imbalance with China has made it increasingly necessary for the nation to acquire "some kind of long-range missiles" that would give it an offensive capability, Lee added. "The psychological effect is important" in order to deter China from attacking Taiwan, Lee said. The Bush administration has pushed Taiwan to buy "defensive" weaponry, but Lee said the package under consideration would leave Taiwan shortchanged. A purely defensive posture, he said, "is a very big risk to the military balance across the Taiwan Strait." As Lee continued to stress the need for the US to support Taiwan's democracy and security against a Chinese military attack. China's increased threat to Taiwan and the need for the nation to defend itself, particularly by boosting military spending and purchasing the weaponry the Bush administration has agreed to sell to Taiwan, was a main theme of Lee's meetings, according to sources familiar with the meetings, which were all private and held in secret. Lee came to Washington with the stated intention of solidifying US-Taiwan relations and to assure continued US commitment to Taiwan's security in the face of China's threats and Beijing's accelerating military modernization.

Lee started the day with a meeting of former chairpersons of the American Institute in Taiwan. He later had lunch with some two dozen specialists and former government officials at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Later, Lee was the guest of honor at a gala dinner hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Relations Office at its Washington mansion, Twin Oaks. A high point in his visit was to come last night, when the US Congress held a reception in his honor. Today, Lee is scheduled to make a presentation and hold a news conference at the National Press Club before heading to Los Angeles for the last stop in his five-city US tour. During his four days in Washington, Lee will attend a reception hosted by US congressmen in the Capitol today, hold a press conference at the National Press Club before heading to Los Angeles for the last stop in his five-city US tour

李總統參觀象徵美國獨立建國意涵的自由鐘、獨立宣言

美國訪問的李登輝總統，特地前往美國獨立聖地費城，參觀象徵美國獨立建國意涵的自由鐘、獨立宣言，以及獨立宣言起草人傑佛遜的紀念堂。自由鐘是在一七五二年鑄造完成，原先是為了紀念賓夕法尼亞州的權利憲章頒布五十週年，美國獨立宣言在一七七六年七月八日正式對外公布時，此鐘響起了歷史性的鐘聲，此為自由鐘名稱的由來。李登輝總統參觀美國獨立宣言，一路警車開道、國際媒體追逐，僑胞更是熱翻天，：「李總統好！李總統好！台灣GOGOGO！台灣GOGOGO！」

總統李登輝造訪美國首府華盛頓。參觀傑佛遜紀念堂後，遠遠正對美國白宮表示，台灣與美國相同，都是移民的社會，人民都為追求自由。台灣不一定要宣布獨立，只要正常化，就是很好的國家。李登輝伉儷上午展開訪美敘舊之旅的第三站行程，由紐約搭車，先到美國獨立聖地費城，參觀自由鐘，下午一時抵達白宮旁的下榻飯店，受到台僑歡迎，經過短暫休息，隨即開始華府的首日行程。李登輝伉儷先到美國國家檔案局，觀看美國憲法和獨立宣言原稿，隨後再到獨立宣言起草人之一的傑佛遜紀念堂參觀。他隨後在紀念堂外，遠遠正對白宮，向媒體表達他的感想，細說美國開國元勳華盛頓、傑佛遜和亞當斯等人推動從英國殖民地獨立、建立美國的經過，其中重要的文件不只是獨立宣言，還有憲法等，都有很深的哲學思想，揭示的美國方向正確，也是世界將來要走的正確方向。

李登輝指出，每天約有五千人到美國國家檔案局參觀憲法和獨立宣言，這些可說是美國的驕傲，最重要是讓大家了解到國家認同，可惜台灣沒有這樣機會讓大家知道國家應該走的方向，自由、民主是普世價值，至於用父權和統一名義來壓迫人民，實在沒有道理。他說，美國偉大的地方，在於開國元勳的理想和想法，讓每位美國人民學習，觀看國家檔案局等是很大的教育方式，台灣對國家認同的教育非常不足，沒有台灣的歷史和不知從何而來，也不知道祖先如何打拼。李登輝表示，台灣與美國一樣都是移民的社會，人民都是為了追求自由。台灣認同問題和未來方向，如何讓人了解最重要，台灣不一定要宣布獨立，台灣只要正常化就是很好的國家，因為台灣現在仍不像一個正常化的國家，需要大家共同來努力。美國正式獨立的那一刻，費城敲起的自由鐘響徹雲宵，而台灣什麼時候才能敲響，屬於自己的『自由鐘』，或許正是李登輝總統華府行希望突破的目標吧。

台灣的民主之父李登輝「世紀饗宴」

李總統美國的洛杉磯台僑晚宴，現場破紀錄席開兩百桌，全場2000人熱情揮旗大爆滿，李前總統呼籲台灣政府，堅持正名、制憲。李登輝魅力無法擋，僑胞熱情歡迎。群策會首度在洛杉磯Pasadena會議中心舉辦「台灣的未來」論壇，現場有上千名台僑參加，李登輝進場時，現場台僑給予熱情歡迎。

李登輝致詞時指出，台灣的未來是海內外鄉親最關切的問題，四百年來，人民為這個目標打拚，台灣未來是由現在大家決定的行動來決定，感謝海內外同胞過去共同努力能夠達成現在民主化的成果。

談台灣的未來，李登輝強調要了解過去台灣的歷史，祖先為了自由來此打拚、建立自己的家園，雖然歷經數百年外來政權的統治，但心願從未改變，今天已經有民主政治，可以決定自己的未來，這項權利是不可能改變的。

李登輝說，20世紀，冷戰已經過去，世界新的秩序正在建立，說不定新的冷戰很快就會來臨，民主的潮流應該是站在台灣這一邊，台灣站在民主國家對抗中國擴張的第一線，面對的困難是前所未有的艱苦。總統李登輝訪美行程中規模最大、參加人數最多的「世紀饗宴」餐會，今晚在洛杉磯近郊帕沙迪那市的會議中心舉行，超過兩千名美國西部的僑胞在餐會結束時一起高唱「福爾摩沙頌」。李前總統伉儷於下午6時30分在群策會秘書長黃昆輝、總統府資政吳澧培陪同下步入會場，受到兩千餘名僑胞的熱情鼓掌歡迎。　據主辦餐會的「歡迎李登輝前總統伉儷籌備會」主席林榮松表示，場地原來最高可以容納2100個座位，但是在僑胞的要求下，一再增加，最後達到席開178桌，每桌以12人計算，總共有2316人參加。與會僑胞當中，除大部分來自洛杉磯及附近城市外，還有從加州舊金山、聖地牙哥、甚至亞利桑那州、內華達州等地兼程趕來的。

一場以亞洲的自由戰略為題的演講，吸引了美國洛杉磯時報、美聯社等多家主流媒體報導，與會的人士包括國會議員羅拉巴克、前加州共和黨主席SHAWNSTELL和其他多位智庫以及民選官員等主流政商界為主。李登輝的演說，獲得現場人士的掌聲，大批主流和日本媒體全程聆聽，

首位訪問美國國會的台灣總統李登輝發表演說「攜手相隨、共創和平」

台灣總統李登輝10月19日出席美國國會山莊酒會時表示，中國近年來在經濟方面崛起，"但人們忽略了中國仍是一個共產獨裁體制，而且不斷在擴充其軍事力量"。李登輝在講演時說，"沒有民主，經常使得強國向外擴張、從而危及世界和平"。李登輝總統表示，民主和自由是台灣和美國共同追求的理想，而"中國民主化是防止亞洲衝突的必須要素"。在由美國國會參議院台灣事務議員團主辦的歡迎儀式上，有200多名國會參、眾兩院議員發言。美國眾議院台灣事務議員團的許多成員也到會向這位台灣前總統致意，並稱讚李登輝是台灣的"民主之父"。參加歡迎會的部分美國議員發言支持台灣參與國際社會，包括給予台灣世界衛生組織觀察員身份，並表示希望能邀請陳水扁總統訪問華盛頓。李登輝表示，台灣已是獨立的國家，現在需要將正式名稱由中華民國換成反映現實情況的"台灣共和國"。

李登輝由台灣駐美代表李大維陪同，19日下午5時抵達美國國會山莊，受到美國國會議員熱情歡迎，上台致詞向李登輝表達敬意者有20多位，李登輝也是首位到美國國會發表演說的台灣總統。在「攜手相隨、共創和平」的演說中，李登輝首先強調，民主與自由是台灣和美國共同的理想，雙方也分享相同的理念，就是要維護地區的和平與安全，雖然台美沒有正式外交關係，可是作為美國堅實的夥伴，台灣一直在維護彼此的利益上盡心盡力，對於台美關係成果感到欣慰，並且相當珍惜這份友誼。他表示，基於台美的利益，同時考慮到亞太的情勢，台灣一定會盡力穩定兩岸關係，不過，近年來，中國的崛起為兩岸關係帶來新的不安變數，很多人注意到中國在經濟方面崛起，但忽略中國仍是共產獨裁體制，而且不斷在擴充軍事力量。

李登輝強調，民主化對於一個國家或者整體亞洲發展的必要性。李登輝強調，他經歷二次世界大戰的痛苦經驗和親眼目睹日本軍國主義興衰，深深體會到民主化對於一個國家或者整體亞洲發展的必要性。他指出，如果沒有政治的民主化，任何強大的國家都有對外擴張的危險，對於世界的和平都是威脅。了解這段歷史，大家對目前中國的經濟崛起和軍事擴張，就更加憂心，因此，中國的民主化是避免亞洲衝突的必要因素。

李登輝19日晚間參加美國國會山莊酒會大型歡迎晚宴時指出，專制中國用盡方法統戰台灣，如何將台灣危機傳達讓美國真正了解，是此行訪美最大目的，台灣面對的不是軍事困難，而是本身失去主體性。李登輝致詞時呼籲所有新時代台灣人面對困難，不能失去意志，要找對方向、堅持目標和堅定走下去，讓台灣變成一個正常、幸福的國家，不再受中國欺壓、威脅和糾纏。這幾年，台灣在民主自由和主體意識的快速發展，導致專制中國用盡方法統戰台灣。如何將台灣危機傳達給美國真正了解，是他這次訪美最大目的，台灣面對的不是軍事的困難，而是台灣本身失去主體性。

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