[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 221 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 221

   Expressing the sense of the Congress that it is the policy of the 
 United States that the future of Taiwan should be resolved peacefully 
 through a democratic mechanism with the express consent of the people 
of Taiwan and free from outside threats, intimidation, or interference.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 6, 2001

  Mr. Wexler (for himself, Mr. Tancredo, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Stump, Mr. 
   Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Wynn, Mr. 
  Andrews, Mr. Wu, Mr. Brown of Ohio, and Mr. Deutsch) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the Congress that it is the policy of the 
 United States that the future of Taiwan should be resolved peacefully 
 through a democratic mechanism with the express consent of the people 
of Taiwan and free from outside threats, intimidation, or interference.

Whereas September 8, 2001, marks the 50th anniversary of the San Francisco Peace 
        Treaty;
Whereas in the San Francisco Peace Treaty, Japan renounced all right, title, and 
        claim to Taiwan;
Whereas the signatories of the San Francisco Peace Treaty left the status of 
        Taiwan undetermined;
Whereas the universally accepted principal of self-determination is enshrined in 
        article 1 of the United Nations Charter;
Whereas the United States is a signatory of the United Nations Charter;
Whereas the United States recognizes and supports that a right to self-
        determination exists as a fundamental right of all peoples, as set forth 
        in numerous United Nations instruments;
Whereas the people of Taiwan are committed to the principles of freedom, 
        justice, and democracy as evidenced by the March 18, 2000, election of 
        Mr. Chen Shui-bian as Taiwan's President;
Whereas the 1993 Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States defines 
        the qualifications of a nation-state as a defined territory, a permanent 
        population, and a government capable of entering into relations with 
        other states;
Whereas on February 24, 2000, and March 8, 2000, former President Clinton 
        stated: ``We will continue to make absolutely clear that the issues 
        between Beijing and Taiwan must be resolved peacefully and with the 
        assent of the people of Taiwan'';
Whereas both the 2000 Republican party platform and the Democratic party 
        platform emphasized and made clear the belief that the future of Taiwan 
        should be determined with the consent of the people of Taiwan;
Whereas on February 1, 2000, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed 
        H.R. 1838, the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act, in which section 2(4) 
        states ``[a]ny determination of the ultimate status of Taiwan must have 
        the express consent of the people on Taiwan'';
Whereas Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in a Senate Foreign 
        Relations Committee hearing on March 16, 2001, that ``[w]hat has changed 
        is that any eventual agreement that is arrived at has to be acceptable 
        to the majority of the people on Taiwan''; and
Whereas in April 2001 President George W. Bush stated that the United States 
        will help Taiwan defend itself if attacked by China: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) it is the policy of the United States that the future 
        of Taiwan should be resolved peacefully, through a democratic 
        mechanism such as a plebiscite and with the express consent of 
        the people of Taiwan; and
            (2) it is the policy of the United States that Taiwan's 
        future should be decided by the people of Taiwan without 
        outside threats, intimidation, or interference.
                                 <all>