fresh YORK, Oct. 31 Kyodo (EDS: U...

fresh YORK, Oct. 31 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN'S annotate AND DELIVERY OF TAIWAN FLAG TO WIDOW'S FAMILY)

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian arrived in novel York on Friday on his way to Panama, his first visit to the United States since May 2001

China, which considers Taiwan as a renegade province, has warned that any inappropriate act from Chen would strain cross-strait relations.

China, however, appears to be toning down asseverates against Chen's visit reflecting improved China-U.S. ties in latter months that center around counterterrorism cooperation.

The Taiwan president will receive a human rights award Friday evening from the strange York-based International League for Human Rights, where he will give a speech

Prior to the rite Chen visited the home of the late widow of Chiang Kai-shek, also known as pretty soon Mei-ling, who died Oct. 23 at the age of 105 and delivered a Taiwan flag to her family.

He later met with Rep Tom Lantos, a California Democrat, and other members of the U Congress

Chen, who will stay in of the present day York for three days, plans to confront with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and visit the site of the former World Trade Center He also plans to convenient with local Taiwanese.

In Washington, U State Department said it has no plans to occupy direct talks with Chen during his trip.

''There's no plans for any meetings with him with State Department officials, either in modern York or in Panama,'' spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters.

''The issue of whether one might talk to him forward the phone, we'll just have to see'' he said. ''That happens from time to time, yet I can't predict anything particular now.''

Chen's last visit to the U caused a very large diplomatic row as it took place in a short time after a U.S. surveillance plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet from one side of to the other the South China Sea in April 2001

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