President Fernández announced last night the DR would make a symbolic economic contribution to the reconstruction of areas affected by the earthquakes in Taiwan. President Fernández is in Taiwan for an official three-day visit. His state visit had been planned prior to the earthquakes and is part of a 12-day tour that also includes Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, Anchorage, Alaska, San Francisco, California and Silicon Valley, St. Louis, Missouri and Miami, Florida. President Fernández is expected back in Santo Domingo on 4 October. President Fernández said in Taiwan that while he considered postponing the trip, he decided to go ahead as a token of solidarity to the people of Taiwan. President Lee Teng Hui valued his presence mentioning that it is in hard times when one gets to know one’s friends. News reports say that the official receiving ceremony at the monument to General Chiang Kai-Shek, founder of Taiwan, was impressive, warm but austere. All festive ceremonies were suspended given the circumstances. An estimated 2,000 persons died in the earthquake and several thousand more are missing or injured. Some 100,000 were left homeless. Later in the day, the statesmen exchanged decorations. During the ceremony, President Fernandez thanked the Republic of China for its cooperation and confirmed the DR’s support to Taiwan’s intent to be admitted to the United Nations. President Fernández described Taiwan as a spectacular example of how a people, based on values of justice, effort and well-aimed direction, can turn poverty into prosperity, isolation into many ties of generous friendship and uncertainty into great visions of the future. The government of Taiwan will sign a donation of US$22 million for the Dominican Republic that will be used to promote business and grant scholarships to students. The statesmen are scheduled to issue a joint declaration regarding cooperation in health, education, farming and hydroelectric resources. President Fernández is scheduled to visit Hshinsu Industrial Scientific Park today, which is in the area affected by the earthquakes. There he is set to visit the plants of Acer, Grand Biotechnology and the technology research firm, Avison Incorporated. On Wednesday, President Fernandez will give a closing talk at the 9 to 2 pm investment seminar to which over 100 Taiwan and DR businessmen have been invited. President Fernández is also scheduled to visit the National Museum of the Presidential Palace. President Fernández will visit rescued earthquake victims at a Taipei hospital and the area where a 12-floor hotel collapsed.
