[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 32 (Monday, March 21, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            TAIWAN SHOULD BE ADMITTED TO THE UNITED NATIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Peterson of Florida). Under a previous 
order of the House, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Brown] is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Asia and Pacific 
Subcommittee, I would like to offer my perspective on an issue of 
particular importance to the Asian Continent: U.N. membership for 
Taiwan.
  Mr. Speaker, it makes little sense to continue to exclude Taiwan from 
the United Nations.
  Whatever logic and whatever political rationale that formerly existed 
for treating Taiwan as a subset of China or as a government in exile 
has long since faded.
  In the post-cold-war era, we must take a realistic view of the world.
  We must realize that the U.N. membership includes 184 nations, and 
excludes only a handful of very small countries and one large one, 
Taiwan.
  Taiwan has 21 million people, a population greater than the great 
majority of U.N. members. Yet we deny Taiwan membership.
  Taiwan has taken a number of steps in recent years toward democracy 
and political reform. Indeed, in many respects we should celebrate the 
success story in Taiwan--particularly when we consider the difficulty 
in convincing the People's Republic of China of the importance of 
behaving as a responsible member of the world community. We simply do 
not have that problem with Taiwan.
  There has been no martial law for 7 years, and the most recent 
elections were the most free in modern Taiwanese history. Yet we do not 
reward progress. Instead we deny them their own seat.
  Taiwan is America's 6th largest trading partner; it is the 14th 
largest trading nation in the world.
  Its foreign currency holdings are the largest in the world.
  Taiwan has the 20th largest gross domestic product in the world.
  Taiwan already has been admitted to GATT and APEC.
  Taiwan is truly one of the strongest of the little tigers of Asia. 
Its economic future appears very bright.
  Mr. Speaker, it simply does not make sense to exclude Taiwan from the 
United Nations--especially if our foreign policy is going to be 
increasingly interlinked with economic policy.
  The United Nations, for all its faults, remains the preeminent 
multilateral international organization. Excluding Taiwan certainly 
conveys the wrong message to the world community.
  I believe we should no longer deny an important global economic force 
representation in the most important of world forums.
  We treat Taiwan as an international pariah for outdated reasons.
  The geopolitical and ideological basis for our policy toward Taiwan 
no longer serves any useful purpose.
  The reality is that Taiwan is a strong player in the world community.
  That fact is indisputable.
  Taiwan is an increasingly significant member of the Pacific rim 
community.
  The 21 million residents of free and independent Taiwan must be 
allowed their own seat in the United Nations.

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