[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 248 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 248
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United
States One-China Policy does not commit it to the People's Republic of
China's One-China Principle, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 21, 2019
Mr. Chabot submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United
States One-China Policy does not commit it to the People's Republic of
China's One-China Principle, and for other purposes.
Whereas officials of the People's Republic of China (PRC) routinely state the
PRC's One-China Principle as, ``There is only one China in the world.
The Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal
government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable
part of China's territory.'' ;
Whereas the People's Republic of China actively seeks to assert its One-China
Principle over any other position on Taiwan's status, including over the
United States One-China Policy, by waging a global campaign to persuade
or force governments, international organizations, and private
corporations to refer to Taiwan as a part of China;
Whereas since Taiwan voters' election of President Tsai-Ing Wen of the
Democratic Progressive Party, the PRC has dramatically increased its
efforts to isolate Taiwan from participation in the international
community;
Whereas the PRC has actively sought to exclude Taiwan from participation at the
World Health Organization and other international organizations since
President Tsai's election;
Whereas the United Nations has routinely and erroneously interpreted United
Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (1971) by referring to Taiwan
as ``Taiwan Province of China'', presuming resolution of Taiwan's
status;
Whereas, in 2016, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)
invited Taiwan to attend the annual World Health Assembly as an observer
on the basis of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, which
she interpreted as reflecting the PRC's One-China Principle;
Whereas the WHO, the World Bank, and other international organizations continue
to refer to Taiwan as ``Taiwan, China'';
Whereas, since 2016, the Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, the Dominican
Republic, Burkina Faso, and El Salvador chose to recognize the PRC's
One-China Principle after switching diplomatic relations from Taipei to
Beijing;
Whereas the PRC continues to seek to coerce private companies around the world
to refer to Taiwan as a part of China;
Whereas the PRC has insisted on acceptance of its One-China Principle being a
precondition to engagement with Taiwan on resolution of their
differences;
Whereas in a speech on January 2, 2019, marking the anniversary of the People's
Republic of China's 1979 ``Message to Compatriots in Taiwan'', PRC
President Xi Jinping stated, ``The development process of cross-Strait
relations has proved: No one and no forces can change the historical and
legal facts that Taiwan is a part of China and two sides of the Strait
belong to one China!'';
Whereas President Xi also stated that ``The longstanding political differences
between the two sides of the Strait are the major causes that prevent
cross-Strait relations from proceeding steadily. This should not be
passed down generation after generation.'', thereby implying a deadline
for unification of Taiwan with the PRC;
Whereas President Xi further asserted, ``We make no promise to renounce the use
of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means . . .
[against] `Taiwan independence' separatists'';
Whereas President Xi also held out a ``one country, two systems'' model for
Taiwan's adoption and promised that under such an arrangement, ``the
social system and life styles of Taiwan compatriots will be fully
respected after the peaceful unification, and the private property,
religious beliefs, and legitimate rights and interests of Taiwan
compatriots will be fully guaranteed'';
Whereas over 75 percent of the people of Taiwan do not support a ``one country,
two systems'' model;
Whereas Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen stated in response to President Xi's
speech that ``Taiwan absolutely will not accept `one country, two
systems' . . .'';
Whereas Taiwan has transitioned into a fully functioning democracy since 1996,
when the island held its first direct Presidential election;
Whereas the PRC's persistent and increasing authoritarianism and Taiwan's
consolidation of its democracy place the PRC and Taiwan on divergent
paths and make unification less likely;
Whereas the Chinese Communist Party is responsible for this state of affairs as
it has prevented the people of mainland China from developing a
representative democracy while the Government of Taiwan has allowed the
people of Taiwan to develop a flourishing democracy;
Whereas an overwhelming majority of the people of Taiwan favor the status quo in
the Taiwan Strait in which Taiwan is not part of the PRC;
Whereas the United States One-China Policy is based on full implementation of
the Taiwan Relations Act and on joint communiques negotiated with the
PRC in 1972, 1978, and 1982, with a focus on peaceful resolution of
Taiwan's status;
Whereas, consequently, the United States One-China Policy is not the PRC's One-
China Principle;
Whereas in the Three Joint Communiques, the United States only acknowledged,
without endorsing, the PRC's claim that there is but one China and
Taiwan is part of China;
Whereas, on April 10, 1979, the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8) was
enacted into law;
Whereas pursuant to the Taiwan Relations Act, ``It is the policy of the United
States--
``(1) to preserve and promote extensive, close, and friendly
commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of the United
States and the people on Taiwan, as well as the people on the China
mainland and all other peoples of the Western Pacific area;
``(2) to declare that peace and stability in the area are in the
political, security, and economic interests of the United States, and are
matters of international concern;
``(3) to make clear that the United States decision to establish
diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China rests upon the
expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means;
``(4) 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;
``(5) to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character; and
``(6) 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;'';
Whereas, in 2018, the Taiwan Travel Act (Public Law 115-135) was enacted into
law, and its passage expressed the sense of Congress that ``the United
States Government should encourage visits between officials from the
United States and Taiwan at all levels'';
Whereas pursuant to the Taiwan Travel Act, ``it should be the policy of the
United States to--
``(1) allow officials at all levels of the United States Government,
including Cabinet-level national security officials, general officers, and
other executive branch officials, to travel to Taiwan to meet their
Taiwanese counterparts; [and]
``(2) allow high-level officials of Taiwan to enter the United States,
under conditions which demonstrate appropriate respect for the dignity of
such officials, and to meet with officials of the United States, including
officials from the Department of State and the Department of Defense and
other Cabinet agencies'';
Whereas implementation of the Taiwan Travel Act is not a violation of United
States policy and would ``preserve and promote extensive, close, and
friendly commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of
the United States and the people on Taiwan'', as called for by the
Taiwan Relations Act;
Whereas it is in the United States national interest to see to it that
resolution of the status of Taiwan is peaceful and respectful of
Taiwan's thriving democracy as well as that until such a peaceful
resolution is achieved, the status quo in the Taiwan Strait in which
Taiwan exists as a self-governing democracy is maintained; and
Whereas the PRC's One-China Principle does not reflect the objective state of
affairs that the Taiwan Government represents a self-governing democracy
of 23.6 million people: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives
that--
(1) it encourages both sides of the Taiwan Strait to carry
out constructive dialogue without preconditions;
(2) it encourages visits between officials from the United
States and Taiwan at all levels;
(3) other countries and international organizations should
refrain from acquiescing to the PRC's One-China Principle;
(4) private companies should rebuff efforts by the PRC to
enforce its One-China Principle and that such companies that do
business in the United States should report such efforts to the
Secretary of State; and
(5) the United States should counter the People's Republic
of China's One-China Principle campaign by adopting the
following policy toward Taiwan:
(A) The United States recognizes the objective
reality that the Taiwan Government legitimately
represents a democracy of 23.6 million people.
(B) The United States will seek to ensure any
resolution of the future of Taiwan is undertaken
peacefully and with the active assent of the people of
Taiwan, pursuant to United States policy as adopted in
the Taiwan Relations Act and the political, security,
and economic interests of the United States described
therein.
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