Kaohsiung mayor to help Malawi athletes attend 2009 World Games

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu pledged Friday to help Malawi athletes attend the World Games, slated to take place in the southern port city in 2009.

Chen made the promise during a meeting with Esther Mcheka Chilenje Nkhoma, the first deputy speaker of Malawi's National Assembly, and three female Malawi lawmakers.

Saying that she will give money to allow Malawi athletes and Chilenje to attend the games, Chen expressed appreciation to Malawi for strongly supporting Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Chen noted that Kaohsiung has attached great importance to ecology and environmental protection during its transformation from a heavy-industry city to a trade-and-tourism city.

She said she hopes Kaohsiung can have "a clean and natural environment like Africa."

Chen said that in Taiwan, women have equal opportunities to men to participate in politics, pointing out that the vice president and one-quarter of the Cabinet are women.

In response, Chilenje said that there are limited opportunities for Malawi women to take part in politics. However, she said she believes female lawmakers often pay more attention to social problems related to children, women and minority groups.

Chilenje expressed a wish to establish collaboration with Kaohsiung to learn more about the city's experience in developing heavy industry.

Chilenje also thanked Taiwan for offering aid to Malawi and reiterated the country's staunch backing for Taiwan's U.N. membership bid.