(27 Jul 1995) English/Nat
U-S lawmakers honoured Madame Chiang Kai-shek on Wednesday for her role in support of Allied efforts in China during World War Two.
Almost 30 senators joined the brief and unusual Capital Hill reception marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
With US-Sino relations at their lowest point in a decade, Washington this week tried to minimise the importance of the visit, which China is expected to take as yet another snub.
The former first lady of China drew a crowd Wednesday on Capitol Hill - as special guest of U-S senators and Chinese-Americans.
The 97-year-old Madame Chiang was honoured as a champion of the Allied cause in Asia during the war.
She too recalled her time in America - as a child, a student and a key figure in China's war effort.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
I came here a child, spent my formative years here, and stayed through college. Therefore, I will always think of America as my second home - and it is good to be back home again.
SUPER CAPTION: Madam Chiang Kai-shek.
Her visit was a chance for U-S lawmakers to stand once more with someone they see as a major figure of World War Two.
SOUNDBITE:
It is an honour for us to have you here Madame Chiang. We thank you for giving us the opportunity to be present with a gracious and great leader, to have a sense of touching history by having you here. And also to have at the same time the chance to express the deep friendship between the American and the Chinese people.
SUPER CAPTION: Senator Paul Simon
It was some 50 years ago that Madame Chiang became only the second woman to address both houses of the U-S Congress.
During the war she was a frequent guest of American leaders - holding audience with her husband Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.
Her visit comes at a time when the administration is trying to convince Beijing that the US has official relations with only one China, the Communist Peoples Republic that forced Chiang's Nationalists from the mainland to Taiwan in 1949.
But most at the reception denied the widow's presence in the Washington would further undermine declining Sino-US relations.
SOUNDBITE:
I have no indication at all that there is any unhappiness on the part of the government of China with what we are doing. And we're, again, going out of our way to make clear that this is not a political event, it is a cultural event.
SUPER CAPTION: Senator Paul Simon
Some senators were outspoken in their praise for Madame Chiang Kai-shek and her husband - seemingly oblivious to any political repercussions.
SOUNDBITE:
She and her husband are wonderful people. They stand for freedom and justice and democracy, same principles as Americans stand for and I think it's well for us to be friendly with both sides mainland China and with Taiwan too cause personally I'm very especially friendly to Taiwanese people because I think they kind of up against a wall. Red China tried to hit them.
SUPER CAPTION: Strom Thurmond (Republican - South Carolina
US Secretary of State Warren Christopher is preparing for a meeting with the Chinese foreign minister next week.
Washington hopes the talks will reopen contacts broken by Beijing in anger over Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui's visit last month to the US.
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