Dear Mr. Prime Minister John Howard,
　　 Mr. Chancellor Gerhard Schr"der,
　　 Mr. President Jacques Chirac,
　　 Mr. Prime Minister Tony Blair,

Vice President Lien Chan, after a 10-day trip bringing ROC aid to the four friendly Central American countries of Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and, Nicaragua, which were hardest hit by hurricane Mitch in late October, returned home yesterday morning (Dec. 15, 1998).

According to press reports, Lien offered a total of nearly US$ 850 million in both soft loans and donations to the four countries on behalf of the ROC government in addition to medicine, food and other relief materials donated by various charitable organizations from the private sector.

The loans and cash donations obviously accounted for a large portion of the government's annual budget set aside for Taiwan's foreign assistance made under the ROC International Cooperation and Development Fund. Yet the US$ 50 million financial aid, together with the relief items, vice President Lien and his mission members presented to the four countries, were especially significant. They were rendered to help the countries relieve the sufferings and economic difficulties caused by Mith, which left more than 10,000 people dead, several hundred thousands homeless and caused billions of U.S. dollars in damage and losses.

Taiwan's prompt financial and material aid has won not only appreciation from the governments and people of the four recipient countries, but also recognition from many of the foreign governments and international organizations which participated in a global effort to help the Central American countries devastated by the hurricane.

The swift response by ROC government and the private sector in extending aid to the four Central American allies once again demonstrated the willingness of Taiwan to always try its best to fulfill international obligations despite mainland China's diplomatic isolation that often made it difficult for Taiwan to join international relief operations.

Reportedly, Taiwan won permission to participate in an international meeting held early this month Washington to integrate global efforts to help the rehabilitation of the Mitch-devastated Central American countries only after it agreed to attend the gathering as an observer and not to use its formal nation name.

World Vision International President Dean Hirsch appealed to local residents to support his organization's US$ 15 million plan to aid countries devastated by flooding and mudslide caused by Mitch. He also thanked the island's people for their sustained generosity through the years.

World Vision of Taiwan (WVT) which has been sponsoring needy children for about 35 years announced that they were increasing their child sponsorships in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala from 1,600 to 3,500 children.

According to Tim Shao, WVT executive director, the organization currently supports 13,000 sponsored Children in Taiwan and more than 26,000 overseas, including Swaziland, India, Mongolia, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Haiti and Honduras. Plans are to seek an additional 15,000 sponsors this year.

In our view; Taiwan is world's Taiwan, not belong to mainland China. Taiwanpeople have rights to choose their future. Taiwan is always the member of our world. Why? Mainland China make an effort to isolate Taiwan in diplomacy.

Democratic Taiwan need your support.