[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 462 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 462


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 19, 2004

      Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Reaffirming unwavering commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act, and for 
                            other purposes.

Whereas April 10, 2004, marked the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the 
        Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), codifying in law the 
        basis for continued commercial, cultural, and other relations between 
        the United States and Taiwan;
Whereas it is and will continue to be United States policy to further encourage 
        and expand these extensive commercial, cultural, and other relations 
        between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan during 
        the next quarter century;
Whereas since its enactment in 1979 the Taiwan Relations Act has been 
        instrumental in maintaining peace, security, and stability in the Taiwan 
        Strait;
Whereas when the Taiwan Relations Act was enacted, it affirmed that the decision 
        of the United States 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 the Government of the People's Republic of China refuses to renounce the 
        use of force against Taiwan;
Whereas the Department of Defense report entitled ``Annual Report on the 
        Military Power of the People's Republic of China,'' dated July 30, 2003, 
        documents that the Government of the People's Republic of China is 
        seeking coercive military options to resolve the Taiwan issue and, as of 
        the date of the report, has deployed approximately 450 short-range 
        ballistic missiles against Taiwan and is adding 75 missiles per year to 
        this arsenal;
Whereas the escalating arms buildup of missiles and other offensive weapons by 
        the People's Republic of China in areas adjacent to the Taiwan Strait is 
        a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area;
Whereas section 3 of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3302) requires that the 
        United States Government will make available defense articles and 
        defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan 
        to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability;
Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act requires the United States to maintain the 
        capacity to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that 
        would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the 
        people of Taiwan;
Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act affirms the preservation and enhancement of the 
        human rights of the people of Taiwan as an objective of the United 
        States;
Whereas Taiwan serves as a model of democratic reform for the People's Republic 
        of China;
Whereas Taiwan's 1996 election was the first time in five millennia of recorded 
        Chinese history that a democratically elected president took office;
Whereas Taiwan's democracy has deepened with a peaceful transfer of power from 
        one political party to another after the presidential election of 2000;
Whereas the relationship between the United States and Taiwan has deepened with 
        Taiwan's evolution into a full-fledged, multi-party democracy that 
        respects human rights and civil liberties;
Whereas high-level visits between government officials of the United States and 
        Taiwan are not inconsistent with the ``one China policy''; and
Whereas any attempt to determine Taiwan's future by other than peaceful means 
        and other than with the express consent of the people of Taiwan would be 
        considered of grave concern to the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That--
            (1) Congress reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the 
        Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) as the 
        cornerstone of United States relations with Taiwan;
            (2) the military modernization and weapons procurement 
        program of the People's Republic of China is a matter of grave 
        concern, and particularly the current deployment of 
        approximately 500 missiles directed toward Taiwan;
            (3) the President should direct all appropriate United 
        States Government officials to raise these grave concerns 
        regarding military threats to Taiwan with officials of the 
        Government of the People's Republic of China;
            (4) the President and Congress should determine whether the 
        escalating arms buildup, including deployment of offensive 
        weaponry and missiles in areas adjacent to the Taiwan Strait, 
        requires that additional defense articles and services be made 
        available to Taiwan, and the United States Government should 
        encourage the leadership of Taiwan to devote sufficient 
        financial resources to the defense of their island;
            (5) as recommended by the U.S.-China Economic and Security 
        Review Commission, the Department of Defense should provide a 
        comprehensive report on the nature and scope of military sales 
        by the Russian Federation to the People's Republic of China to 
        the Committees on International Relations and Armed Services of 
        the House of Representatives and Committees on Foreign 
        Relations and Armed Services of the Senate;
            (6) the President should encourage further dialogue between 
        democratic Taiwan and the People's Republic of China; and
            (7) the United States Government should not discourage 
        current officials of the Taiwan Government from visiting the 
        United States on the basis that doing so would violate the 
        ``one China policy''.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 15, 2004.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.