[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 53 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 53

                  Concerning the Taiwan Relations Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 11, 1999

Mr. Rohrabacher (for himself, Mr. DeLay, Mr. Gejdenson, Mr. Lantos, Mr. 
Cox, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, 
 Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Chabot, and Mr. Tancredo) submitted 
    the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
                  Concerning the Taiwan Relations Act.

Whereas April 10, 1999, will mark the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the 
        Taiwan Relations Act, codifying in public law the basis for continued 
        commercial, cultural, and other relations between the United States and 
        Taiwan;
Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act was advanced by Congress and supported by the 
        executive branch as a critical tool to preserve and promote ties the 
        American people have enjoyed with the people of Taiwan;
Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act has been instrumental in maintaining peace, 
        security, and stability in the Taiwan Strait since its enactment in 
        1979;
Whereas when the Taiwan Relations Act was enacted in 1979, it affirmed that the 
        United States decision to establish diplomatic relations with the 
        People's Republic of China was based on the expectation that the future 
        of Taiwan would be determined by peaceful means;
Whereas officials of the People's Republic of China refuse to renounce the use 
        of force against democratic Taiwan;
Whereas the recent accelerated defense modernization and weapons procurement 
        efforts by the People's Republic of China, as documented in the February 
        1, 1999, report by the Secretary of Defense on ``The Security Situation 
        in the Taiwan Strait'', could threaten cross-strait stability and United 
        States interests in the Asia-Pacific region;
Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act provides explicit guarantees that the United 
        States will make available defense articles and services necessary in 
        such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a 
        sufficient self-defense capability;
Whereas section 3(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act requires timely reviews by 
        United States military authorities of Taiwan's defense needs in 
        connection with recommendations to the President and the Congress;
Whereas Congress and the President are committed by Article 3(b) of the Taiwan 
        Relations Act to determine the nature and quantity of Taiwan's 
        legitimate self-defense needs;
Whereas the Republic of China on Taiwan routinely makes informal requests to 
        United States Government officials, which are discouraged or declined 
        informally by Department of Defense personnel;
Whereas it is the policy of the United States to reject any attempt to curb the 
        provision by the United States of defense articles and services 
        legitimately needed for Taiwan's self-defense;
Whereas it is the current executive branch policy to bar most high-level 
        dialogue regarding regional stability with senior military officials 
        Taiwan;
Whereas it is the policy set forth in the Taiwan Relations Act to promote 
        extensive commercial relations between the people of the United States 
        and the people on Taiwan and such commercial relations would be further 
        enhanced by Taiwan's membership in the World Trade Organization;
Whereas the human rights provisions in the Taiwan Relations Act helped stimulate 
        the democratization of Taiwan;
Whereas Taiwan today is a full-fledged multi-party democracy fully respecting 
        human rights and civil liberties and serves as a successful model of 
        democratic reform for the People's Republic of China;
Whereas it is United States policy to promote extensive cultural relations with 
        Taiwan, ties that should be further encouraged and expanded;
Whereas any attempt to determine Taiwan's future by other peaceful means, 
        including boycotts or embargoes would be considered a threat to the 
        peace and security of the Western Pacific and of grave concern to the 
        United States;
Whereas in the spirit of the Taiwan Relations Act, which encourages the future 
        of democratic Taiwan to be determined by peaceful means, the government 
        of Taiwan has engaged the People's Republic of China in a cross-strait 
        dialogue by advocating that peaceful renification be based on a 
        democratic system of government being implemented on the mainland; and
Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act established the American Institute on Taiwan 
        (AIT) to carry out the programs, transactions, and other relations 
        conducted or carried out by the United States Government with respect to 
        Taiwan and AIT should be recognized for the successful role it has 
        played in sustaining and enhancing United States relations with Taiwan: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the United States should reaffirm its commitment to the 
        Taiwan Relations Act and the specific guarantees of provision 
        of legitimate defense articles to Taiwan contained therein;
            (2) the Congress has grave concerns over China's growing 
        arsenal of nuclear and conventionally armed ballistic missiles, 
        the movement of those missiles into a closer geographic 
        proximity to Taiwan, and the effect that buildup may have on 
        stability in the Taiwan Strait;
            (3) the President should direct all appropriate officials 
        to raise with officials from the People's Republic of China our 
        grave concern over China's growing arsenal of conventionally 
        armed ballistic missiles, the movement of those missiles into a 
        closer geographic proximity to Taiwan, and the effect that 
        buildup may have on stability in the Taiwan Strait;
            (4) the President should seek from leaders of the People's 
        Republic of China a public renunciation of any use of force, or 
        threat to use force, against Taiwan;
            (5) the President should provide annually a report 
        detailing the military balance on both sides of the Taiwan 
        Strait, including the impact of procurement and modernization 
        programs underway;
            (6) the Secretary of Defense should inform the appropriate 
        committees of Congress when officials from Taiwan seek to 
        purchase defense articles for self-defense;
            (7) the United States Government should encourage a high-
        level dialogue with officials from Taiwan and other United 
        States allies in East Asia, including Japan, South Korea, and 
        the Philippines, on the best means to ensure stability, peace, 
        freedom of the seas, and deterrence in East Asia;
            (8) the President should encourage progress in the cross-
        strait dialogue between democratic Taiwan and the People's 
        Republic of China based on Beijing renouncing the use of force 
        against Taiwan and real progress in a democratic system of 
        government being implemented on the mainland; and
            (9) it should be United States policy in conformity with 
        Article 4(d) of the Taiwan Relations Act to publicly support 
        Taiwan's admission to the World Trade Organization forthwith on 
        its own merits and encourage others to adopt similar policies, 
        without making such admission conditional on the previous or 
        simultaneous admission of the People's Republic of China to the 
        World Trade Organization.
                                 <all>