[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 676 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 676

Declaring that it shall continue to be the policy of the United States, 
 consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, to make available to Taiwan 
 such defense articles and services as may be necessary for Taiwan to 
             maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 25, 2007

  Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Lantos, Mr. McCaul of Texas, Mr. 
  Tancredo, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Burton of 
  Indiana, Mr. Payne, Mr. Fortuno, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Wu, Mr. Scott of 
     Georgia, Mr. Engel, and Mr. Andrews) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Declaring that it shall continue to be the policy of the United States, 
 consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, to make available to Taiwan 
 such defense articles and services as may be necessary for Taiwan to 
             maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.

Whereas relations between the United States and Taiwan are governed by the 
        Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.; Public Law 96-8), three 
        joint communiques, and the Six Assurances;
Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act has governed United States arms sales to Taiwan 
        since 1979, when the United States extended diplomatic recognition to 
        the People's Republic of China;
Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act specifies that it is United States policy, 
        among other things, to consider any non-peaceful means to determine 
        Taiwan's future ``a threat'' to the peace and security of the Western 
        Pacific and of ``grave concern'' to the United States; ``to provide 
        Taiwan with arms of a defensive character;'' and ``to maintain the 
        capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other 
        forms of coercion'' jeopardizing the security, or social or economic 
        system of Taiwan's people;
Whereas section 3(a) of the Taiwan Relations Act states that ``the United States 
        will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services 
        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 stipulates that both the 
        President and the Congress shall determine the nature and quantity of 
        such defense articles and services ``based solely'' upon their judgment 
        of the needs of Taiwan;
Whereas Taiwan's 2007 defense budget included approximately $488,000,000 to 
        begin the process of procuring 66 new United States-origin F-16C/D 
        fighters, pending United States price and availability data;
Whereas after October 31, 2007, those funds will no longer be available to begin 
        the process of procuring the
        F-16C/D fighters;
Whereas the Taiwanese Defense Ministry has requested and the Executive Yuan 
        (cabinet) approved in August 2007 a 2008 defense budget that includes 
        approximately $764,000,000 for the second year's budget for F-16C/D 
        fighters;
Whereas notwithstanding the requirements of the Taiwan Relations Act, the Bush 
        Administration has not been responsive to Taiwan's clear expression of 
        interest in receiving price and availability data for the F-16C/D 
        fighters; and
Whereas in its annual, congressionally mandated report on China's Military Power 
        (most recently released in May 2007) the Department of Defense concluded 
        that China is greatly improving its military, with those improvements 
        largely focused on a Taiwan contingency, and that this build-up poses an 
        increasing threat to Taiwan and ultimately to the United States military 
        presence in Asia: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That--
            (1) it shall continue to be the policy of the United 
        States, consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, to make 
        available to Taiwan such defense articles and services as may 
        be necessary for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense 
        capability; and
            (2) the United States should determine the nature and 
        quantity of such defense articles and services ``based solely'' 
        upon the legitimate defense needs of Taiwan.
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