[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 200 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 200

 Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the freedom, security, and 
                          stability of Taiwan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 15, 2009

 Mr. Andrews submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the freedom, security, and 
                          stability of Taiwan.

Whereas for over half a century a close relationship has existed between the 
        United States and Taiwan, and such relationship has been of enormous 
        economic, cultural, and strategic advantage to both countries;
Whereas the United States has vital security and strategic interests in the 
        Taiwan Strait, with United States troops stationed in countries within 
        the Taiwan Strait region;
Whereas the security of the 23,000,000 people in Taiwan is threatened by the 
        deployment by the People's Republic of China of over 1,400 short- and 
        medium-range ballistic missiles targeted at Taiwan;
Whereas the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China passed 
        an anti-secession law on March 14, 2005, which was subsequently 
        condemned by the United States House of Representatives in House 
        Concurrent Resolution 98, passed by the House of Representatives on 
        March 16, 2005;
Whereas such resolution states that the anti-secession law seeks ``to create a 
        legal framework for possible use of force against Taiwan'' and that it 
        constitutes ``a unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan 
        Strait'';
Whereas a 2009 Pentagon report on the military power of the People's Republic of 
        China states that ``[t]he PLA's modernization vis-a-vis Taiwan has 
        continued over the past year, including its build-up of short-range 
        missiles opposite the island'', and that ``[i]n the near-term, China's 
        armed forces are rapidly developing coercive capabilities for the 
        purpose of deterring Taiwan's pursuit of de jure independence'';
Whereas such report also states that ``[t]hese same capabilities could in the 
        future be used to pressure Taiwan toward a settlement of the cross-
        Strait dispute on Beijing's terms while simultaneously attempting to 
        deter, delay, or deny any possible U.S. support for the island in case 
        of conflict'';
Whereas the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Dennis Blair, in the 2009 
        Annual Threat Assessment of the Intelligence Community for the Senate 
        Select Committee on Intelligence, stated that ``[p]reparations for a 
        possible Taiwan conflict continue to drive the modernization goals of 
        the People's Liberation Army and the Chinese defense-industrial 
        complex'';
Whereas section 2(b)(4) of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301(b)(4)), 
        which is the cornerstone of United States-Taiwan relations, declares 
        that it is the policy of the United States ``to consider any effort to 
        determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including 
        by boycotts or embargoes, is a threat to the peace and security of the 
        Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States''; and
Whereas section 2(b)(6) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 3301(b)(6)) declares it the 
        policy of 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 on Taiwan'': 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) grave concerns exist concerning the continued 
        deployment by the People's Republic of China of over 1,400 
        ballistic missiles directed toward Taiwan, which threaten 
        security and stability in the Taiwan Strait;
            (2) the President of the United States should seek a public 
        and unequivocal renunciation from the leaders of the People's 
        Republic of China of any threat or use of force against Taiwan; 
        and
            (3) the future of Taiwan should be determined free from 
        coercion by the People's Republic of China, peacefully, and 
        with the express consent of the people of Taiwan.
                                 <all>