[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 481 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 481

    Expressing the sense of Congress regarding high level visits by 
    democratically elected officials of Taiwan to the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2004

Mr. Chabot (for himself and Mr. Brown of Ohio) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of Congress regarding high level visits by 
    democratically elected officials of Taiwan to the United States.

Whereas Taiwan is the seventh largest trading partner of the United States and 
        plays an important role in the economy of the Asia-Pacific region;
Whereas Taiwan routinely holds free and fair elections in a multiparty system, 
        and on March 20, 2004, held its third democratic presidential election, 
        in which Chen Shui-bian was re-elected as president of the 23,000,000 
        people of Taiwan;
Whereas Members of Congress, unlike executive branch officials, have long had 
        the freedom to meet with leaders of governments with which the United 
        States does not have formal relations, and these meetings provide a 
        vital opportunity to discuss issues of mutual concern that directly 
        affect United States national interests;
Whereas the United States has acquiesced for more than two decades to demands 
        made by the People's Republic of China to bar the president, vice 
        president, foreign minister, and defense minister of Taiwan from coming 
        to the United States;
Whereas, as a result of the inability of these high level officials to visit the 
        United States, Congress loses the opportunity to communicate directly 
        with them about developments in the Asia-Pacific region and key elements 
        of the relationship between the United States and Taiwan;
Whereas, considering the enormous economic, security, and political interests 
        shared by the United States, Taiwan, and China, there could not be a 
        more important time to find opportunities to meet with Taiwan's new 
        leaders;
Whereas Congress must continue to play an independent oversight role in United 
        States policy toward Taiwan and continue to find ways to reduce tensions 
        across the Taiwan Strait, in particular to counteract the buildup of 
        missiles by China that are pointed at Taiwan;
Whereas the policy of restricting high level officials from Taiwan from making 
        official visits to the United States forces Members of Congress to 
        choose whether to rely solely upon indirect assessments provided by the 
        administration or to travel to Taiwan to obtain this information 
        firsthand and denies the democratically elected officials of Taiwan the 
        respect they deserve;
Whereas by bestowing upon President Chen the respect his office deserves, the 
        United States will demonstrate to the people of Taiwan and China the 
        support of the United States for democracy; and
Whereas the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 
        (Public Law 103-416) provides that the president or other high level 
        official of Taiwan shall be welcome in the United States at any time to 
        discuss a variety of important issues: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) it is in the national interests of the United States to 
        communicate directly with democratically elected and appointed 
        officials of Taiwan, including the democratically elected 
        president of Taiwan; and
            (2) the United States should lift all restrictions on 
        visits by high level officials of Taiwan to the United States.
                                 <all>