(2020-0293-F) President Lee Teng-hui

The materials in FOIA 2020-0293-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related material. This FOIA case contains records regarding the relationship between President Lee Teng-hui of Taiwan (also known as the Republic of China, or the ROC) and President Clinton, particularly visits by the former to the United States. It should be noted that, as the United States does not officially recognize the government of Taiwan, there were no official State Visits by President Lee during the Clinton Administration. The collection primarily includes records regarding unofficial visits by Lee Teng-hui to the United States. Many of these relate to his first private visit to the U.S. to attend a reunion at Cornell University, his alma mater, in May 1995. These records include correspondence from both private citizens and Congress in support of granting Lee a visa ahead of the visit, as well as a letter from a member of the Taiwan legislature regarding China’s reaction to the visit. The files also contain a letter from Governor Tony Knowles of Alaska urging the administration to grant President Lee a second visa to attend the USA-ROC Economic Council Conference in September 1995. Many of the records related to this FOIA case are closed for national security reasons.