[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 124 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 124

 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should resume 
    normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 20, 2018

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should resume 
    normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and for other purposes.

Whereas the people of Taiwan have established a vibrant and pluralistic 
        democracy;
Whereas the people of Taiwan have conducted six successful presidential 
        elections, successive elections for members of their national 
        legislature, numerous local elections, and three national referendums;
Whereas Taiwan has never been under the jurisdiction of the Communist government 
        in Beijing, which continues to illegitimately claim sovereignty over 
        Taiwan and its 23,500,000 citizens;
Whereas the Shanghai Communique, which maintains that there is ``One China'' and 
        that ``Taiwan is part of China'', was established without the 
        consultation of Congress or the people of Taiwan;
Whereas Communist China has since used the ``One China Policy'' to block 
        Taiwan's membership and full participation in international 
        organizations and events, ranging from the United Nations and the World 
        Health Organization to the Olympics;
Whereas the ``One China Policy'' is effectively obsolete, and does not reflect 
        the obvious reality that Taiwan has been an independent and sovereign 
        country for over half a century;
Whereas Taiwan maintains diplomatic, cultural, and economic relations with 
        several countries around the world;
Whereas Taiwan and the United States maintained formal diplomatic relations 
        until 1979;
Whereas today, the United States maintains normal diplomatic relations with all 
        countries in the world, except for Syria, North Korea, Iran, Bhutan, and 
        Taiwan;
Whereas former President Jimmy Carter severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 
        1979 and terminated the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States 
        and Taiwan without consulting or seeking the approval of Congress;
Whereas Congress responded later that year by adopting the Taiwan Relations Act, 
        codifying into law the basis for continued friendly relations between 
        the United States and Taiwan;
Whereas former President Ronald Reagan issued the ``Six Assurances'' to Taiwan 
        in July 1982, including the assurance that ``[t]he United States would 
        not formally recognize Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan'';
Whereas both the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8, 22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) 
        and the Six Assurances form the cornerstone of United States-Taiwan 
        relations; and
Whereas Taiwan has been a steadfast ally of the United States and a responsible 
        member of the world community: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the President should abandon the fundamentally flawed 
        ``One China Policy'' in favor of a more realistic ``One China, 
        One Taiwan Policy'' that recognizes Taiwan as a sovereign and 
        independent country, separate from the Communist regime in 
        China;
            (2) the President should begin the process of resuming 
        normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan; and
            (3) the President, the Permanent Representative of the 
        United States to the United Nations, and other relevant United 
        States officials should aggressively support Taiwan's full 
        participation in the United Nations and any other international 
        organization of which the United States is a member, and for 
        which statehood is a requirement for membership.
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