--- Thanks to the
efforts of my brother, James Taylor, in Hong Kong, we now have the remarks
of the Mayor of Weifang , who opened the August 17, 2005, Liberation celebration
at he site of the concentration camp. Mayor Zhang served as Master of Ceremonies.
--- By the way, the dotted lines on the text of the speech indicate the pause
for the translator interpret to English. As I recall, the translator in all
of the events was a woman. Mary Previte.
Speech by Zhang Xinqi, Mayor of Weifang
at Liberation Day Opening Ceremony, August 17, 2005
Distinguished
guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning!
At this very moment 60 years ago, on
the occasion of the victory of the world anti-fascist war and anti-Japanese
War, the biggest foreigners’ concentration camp in
We have with us at the conference
totally over 3000 people including Ms. Mary T. Previte, state legislature of
New Jersy and other former Weihsieners
and their relatives and friends, domestic and over seas guests and reporters.
It is a pleasure that a delegation headed by Ms. Charlene Fontaine, spokesman
of the US Fly Tiger Club is present at the conference on invitation.
It is our great honor
to have Mr. Wang Yunze vice president of the Chinese
People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Mr. Donald Bishop,
Minister-Counsellor of Culture and Press of the US Embassy in
It is our great honor
to have the city leaders with us at this conference. Mr. Zhang Chuanlin, Secretary of Weifang municipal committee of CPC
and Chairman of Standing Committee of Weifang People’s Congress, Mr. Zhao Xingtao, Vice Secretary, Mr. Chi Zhaohou,
Chairman of the People’s Political Consutative
Conference of Weifang, Mr. Bi Keren, Vice Chairman of
Standing Committee of Weifang People’s Congress, Mr. Hu
Gang, member and secretary-general of municipal Standing Committee of CPC, and
Mr. Jiang Wencai, vice
mayor of Weifang.
The Commemorative Conference for the
60th Anniversary of Weihsien Concentration Camp Liberation,