Hi Jay,
Chen Shui-bian was here yesterday for scenic train trip...
State courts economic partner
UNOFFICIAL VISIT: Chen, Murkowski talk business during scenic train trip.
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By NICOLE TSONG
Anchorage Daily News
(Published: November 6, 2003)
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian technically was not on an official visit to Alaska this week; he was only stopping on the way home.
But while Chen's stay may not have been official -- the United States doesn't formally recognize Taiwan -- he is still the leader of an economically important Asian country, and Alaska threw the best it had at him and his delegation of 140 for the 24 hours they were here. That included a train trip packed with Alaska business leaders, a run to scenic Grandview, and a display of sled dogs and sled, albeit with no snow.
Alaska was the third and last stop for Chen after a visit to New York -- not official, of course -- to pick up a human rights award and a trip to Panama to help celebrate the country's 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal.
The visit to Alaska came about after Gov. Frank Murkowski visited Taiwan and told the president he'd like Chen to stop in Alaska as part of his trip to New York and Panama and bring along business leaders and government officials, Murkowski's spokesman John Manly said.
The president agreed because Murkowski has a long history of support for Taiwan from his more than two decades in the Senate and Chen thought it was good business opportunity, said Paul Chang, information division director for San Francisco's Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.
The president flew into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on Tuesday evening and dined at the Hotel Captain Cook before spending the night at Alyeska Prince Hotel. His entourage, which also included about 100 Taiwanese not traveling with him but who came to Alaska to see him, took up roughly 250 rooms.
Most of those traveling with him were people from his own office and security, but the pack also included about 40 journalists, government ministers and business folks.
Many came along just for Wednesday's train ride, which was set up for Taiwanese officials and businessmen to mingle with Alaskans. Those who wanted to talk about agriculture and forest products could be found in car No. 4. Those looking for people to discuss energy and natural resources were cozy in booths in car No. 5. Those looking to talk to Chen and Murkowski couldn't because the pair were ensconced most of the time in a private car at the rear of the train, guarded by several tables of security personnel.
But in the seafood car, Andrea Meche, general manager of Trappers Creek Smoking Co., gushed to Taiwanese officials about a new smoked salmon jerky snack she hopes to sell in the 3,000 7-Eleven convenience stores in Taiwan.
She enticed the minister of agriculture to try a piece. Another man with him tasted the jerky and said in English that it was a little salty for Chinese tastes.
Meche said hastily, "That's an easy one to fix."
When another potential customer said the same thing, she explained it was a new product and needs a little tweaking.
But she assured him that when they got back to the train station, she could send him back to Taiwan with all the jerky he wanted.
"We hope to break into the $60 billion snack market" with the salmon, Meche said later.
In other parts of the train, competition was occasionally fierce to talk to coveted Taiwanese executives like the president of Chinese Petroleum or the minister of economic affairs. Business cards, often in Chinese with English translations on the back, were exchanged freely, and Taiwanese could be seen closely poring over maps of Alaska as Alaskans explained the economic possibilities.
The ride that began in Portage was as much a business opportunity for the Alaska Railroad as anyone else. The railroad donated the cost of the ride and the catered snacks like baklava, papaya and green tea, said Wendy Lindskoog, a railroad spokeswoman. She said a conservative estimate of their donated costs is $20,000.
Taiwan is a top 20 trading partner for Alaska, according to state officials. About 100 Alaska business leaders were invited on the train ride, chosen because their industries related to the officials and businessmen the president brought along, said Patricia Eckert, a trade specialist with the state.
Lin Yi-Fu, the Taiwan minister of economic affairs, said he talked to people about the fishing industry, paper products and natural gas, a major import for Taiwan.
But many Taiwanese, including journalists and Chen's security detail, were just as concerned with the scenery visible through the glass-topped railcars, pulling out digital cameras as the train passed a glacier, trumpeter swans and other vistas and exclaiming, "beautiful!" in Mandarin.
Chen and Murkowski's private car was opened briefly to the press as the pair drank coffee and made conversation over a map of Alaska on a glass table.
Chen, in a dark, three-piece suit, talked to Murkowski about the layout of the state, his interpreter translating the exchange. Murkowski noted how close the state is geographically to Taiwan, and told the president there were opportunities between the two.
Then he showed Chen where Mount McKinley was on the map and told him how high it was -- about 20,300 feet, he said of North America's highest peak, which is 20,320 feet to the summit. Chen wanted it in meters. The governor puzzled briefly over it before asking someone else.
The number 7,000 was thrown out. Nobody had the precise answer: 6,196 meters. And Murkowski told Chen, "7,000, maybe."
The pair also had serious talks, including discussions of the possibility of forming task forces in Alaska and Taiwan to discuss business ideas in industries like timber and fishing, Murkowski said.
After the end of the 31/2-hour train ride and lunch at the Alyeska hotel, Chen took the tram to the top of Mount Alyeska, where he was greeted by two former Iditarod sled dogs, a purple sled, three 12-week-old puppies and a snowmachine.
He held a puppy for the cameras and stroked it as Murkowski petted another one.
Chen seemed genuinely delighted after a brief walk to an overlook, where he somehow found snow. He walked back toward the tram platform, grinning as he tossed the snow in his hand.
Chen left Alaska for Taiwan on Wednesday evening.
Visits to the United States by Taiwanese diplomats are considered sensitive because the United States has no diplomatic relations with the Taiwanese because of pressure from mainland China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province.
The Taiwanese public will pay attention to the trip because they care about relations with the United States, said Winnie Lin, a television reporter from Taiwan. But she's not sure her public will know who Murkowski is or relate to that aspect of Chen's trip.
"It's a little far for them," she said.
Even without formal relations, the U.S. Department of State didn't ignore Chen entirely. Some State special agents were dispatched in case of "diplomatic issues," said one of the agents, Ken Luzzi. But it's still an Alaska-run show.
"We're along for the ride," he said. |
