[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 39 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 39

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 13, 2011

   Mr. Andrews (for himself and Mr. Garrett) 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 the relationship has been of enormous 
        economic, cultural, and strategic advantage to both countries, the 
        region and the world;
Whereas the United States has vital security and strategic interests in the 
        Taiwan Strait, with United States Armed Forces 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 Government of 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 (109th Congress), passed by the House of 
        Representatives on March 16, 2005;
Whereas House Concurrent Resolution 98 (109th Congress) 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 Department of Defense report on the military power of the 
        Government 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 the 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 Select 
        Committee on Intelligence of the Senate, 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 on January 21, 2010, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) completed a 
        report on the current condition of the air force of the Government of 
        Taiwan and concludes that, ``although Taiwan has nearly 400 combat 
        aircraft in service, far fewer of these are operationally capable'';
Whereas on August 16, 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a report 
        titled ``Military and Security Developments involving the People's 
        Republic of China'', in which it noted that in spite of the ongoing 
        rapprochement, the PRC is continuing its military buildup and missile 
        deployment aimed at Taiwan, leading to a further deterioration of the 
        military balance across the Taiwan Strait;
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, 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 of the United 
        States 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 Government of 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 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 the region;
            (3) the future of Taiwan should be determined peacefully by 
        the people of Taiwan and free from coercion by the Government 
        of the People's Republic of China; and
            (4) the President should take immediate steps to redress 
        the deteriorating balance of airpower noted by the 2010 DOD's 
        annual report on China's military power, and move forward 
        expeditiously with the sale to Taiwan of new F-16 C/D aircraft 
        and upgrades of the existing F-16 A/B fleet.
                                 <all>