TRIBUTE TO LI-PEI WU -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 15, 2004)
[Page: E1387]
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SPEECH OF
HON. HOWARD L. BERMAN
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2004
• Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. WU and I rise today to ask our colleagues to join in saluting Mr. Li-Pei Wu, Chairman Emeritus and Director of GBC Bancorp, and the new Senior Advisor to Taiwan's President Chen Shu-Bian. He is a remarkable man with a myriad of accomplishments.
• Mr. Wu has enjoyed a distinguished and successful career as a banking executive. He served as CFO of the National Bank of Alaska and President of Alaska National Bank of the North. In 1982, Mr. Wu took the helm of General Bank in Los Angeles. Under his able leadership, both General Bank and its holding company, GBC Bancorp, developed into industry leaders.
• Mr. Wu was born in Changhwa, Taiwan, one of the poorest communities in Taiwan. Despite facing political oppression, he earned a B.A. in Economics from National Taiwan University and taught at the Kwanglon Business School. After his brother was sent to prison by members of the Nationalist Party, Wu left Taiwan to earn his MBA at Fort Hays State University. He struggled with the English language, but his determination and business acumen soon landed him important positions in Alaska's largest financial institution, the National Bank of Alaska.
• Li-Pei Wu's accomplishments go far beyond the business world. For more than 35 years he has dedicated his time and energy to advocate for democracy and human rights in Taiwan. He is the founder and chairman of the Formosa Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan public interest group that seeks to foster an environment of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, while also promoting understanding and friendship between Taiwan and the United States. He was the founding president of the Taiwanese American Citizen League, which has grown from one to twelve chapters nationwide. He has worked tirelessly to help Taiwanese-Americans achieve success and leadership opportunities in American politics, culture, and society. In addition, he serves as an honorary member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and as a Board of Advisors member for the Asia Society of Los Angeles.
• Mr. Wu's commitment to human rights, peace, and economic success has been widely recognized. He is the proud recipient of the 1998 Ernst & Young Greater Los Angeles Entrepreneur of the Year Award and has been asked to teach at the University of Cambridge as a Distinguished Guest Lecturer in the school's Department of Oriental Studies. He has served as a delegate to Taiwan's National Affairs Summit at the direct invitation of Taiwan's President Lee Tung-hui. In 1990, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award bestowed on him by the National Association of Investment Companies.
• Mr. Speaker, we ask our colleagues to join us in honoring and thanking Mr. Li-Pei Wu for his outstanding contributions to our community and for his steadfast commitment to human rights and strong relations between the United States and Taiwan.
END
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