The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) celebrated the inauguration of the President of the Republic of China on Taiwan at the Twin Oaks estate on the evening of May 19.
In his remarks, Taiwan's chief representative to the United States C. J. (Chien-Jen) Chen said "We are here celebrating not only the inauguration of President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu but also the cause of freedom and democracy." Quoting Winston Churchill's "It has been said democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." Representative Chen said that democracy is not perfect, yet there is no better system of government. Referring to the group of people who had gathered at the entrance of the Twin Oaks estate to protest the results of the presidential election, he said such political activism shows that Taiwan is a vibrant democracy that tolerates differing voices. Though there are disputes over the election, he noted, they are being handled according to legal procedures until the facts are known.
Guests of honor at the Twin Oaks inauguration party included ambassadors from Taiwan's diplomatic allies, Representative Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Mrs. Robert Wexler (D-FL), former American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Therese Shaheen, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, U.S.-Taiwan Business Council Chairman Rupert J. Hammond-Chambers, Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, Chairman of U.S.-China Economic & Security Review Commission Roger Robinson, Vice President of Boeing Stanley Roth, Chairman of the Carlyle Group Frank C. Carlucci, President of the American Enterprise Institute Christopher DeMuth, President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies John J. Hamre, President of the Atlantic Council of the U.S. Christopher Makins, Executive Director of the Project for the New American Century Gary Schmitt, and renowned scholars from leading think tanks in the Washington, D.C. area.
