[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 63 (Thursday, May 19, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     TAIWAN DESERVES FAIR TREATMENT

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate President Lee 
Teng-hui of the Republic of China on the fourth anniversary of his 
Presidency.
  President Lee Teng-hui is the first freely-elected President in the 
history of the Republic of China. Under the leadership of President 
Lee, the Republic of china on Taiwan has become one of the fastest-
growing, most dynamic economies in the Asia-Pacific region. In the past 
4 years, Taiwan also made impressive progress in democratization: Free 
and fair elections are routinely held in a multiparty political system. 
Today's Taiwan is one of the most stable, prosperous, and democratic 
nations in the world.
  Maintaining our close relationship with Taiwan is in our national 
interest. It is an important pillar supporting regional peace, regional 
security and regional prosperity. President Bush recognized the 
importance of Taiwan to the region when he dispatched his Cabinet-level 
appointee, United States Trade Representative Carla Hills, to Taiwan. 
Continued high-level United States attention to Taiwan is an important 
component of the success of United States policy in the Asia-Pacific 
region.
  Congressional recognition of Taiwan's importance was evidenced in the 
Foreign Relations Act signed into law by President Clinton on April 30, 
1994. Section 508 of that Act urges the President, on behalf of the 
Congress, to: ``. . . send Cabinet-level appointees to Taiwan . . .'' 
and to ``. . . take steps to show clear United States support for 
Taiwan both in our bilateral relationship and in multilateral 
organizations of which the United States is a member.''
  Nonetheless, early in May, this clear expression of congressional 
intent was ignored by the administration. President Lee was humiliated 
by the State Department's rude and inappropriate refusal of his request 
to stop overnight in Hawaii while on his way from Taiwan to Costa Rica. 
The Communist government of the People's Republic of China lodged a 
diplomatic protest about who the United States should and should not 
permit to overnight on United States soil, and government ``kowtowed.'' 
The Clinton administration's treatment of a freely elected leader is 
embarrassing to all Americans, and calls into question this 
administration's commitment to democracy.
  Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to commend my 
colleague, Senator Simon, for being the first to bring this matter to 
the public's attention. This rude treatment has the potential to 
severely hamper our relations with Taiwan and to affect Taiwan's 
international status.
  To demonstrate to President Lee of Taiwan that the rude and 
inappropriate behavior of this administration is not shared by the 
American public, Senator Murkowski and I have sent a letter to 
President Clinton expressing our serious concerns over this event. We 
have also invited President Lee Teng-hui to visit our home States of 
Colorado and Alaska. We hope that President Lee's visit to our States 
will demonstrate the extensive, close, and friendly feelings that 
everyday Americans have for the people of Taiwan.
  Mr. President, I ask uananimous consent that these two letters be 
printed in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks.
  I thank the Chair.
  There being no objection, the letters were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                     Washington, DC, May 17, 1994.
     Hon. William J. Clinton,
     The President,
     The White House.
       Dear Mr. President: On April 30, 1994, you signed into law 
     the Foreign Relations Authorization Act. Section 508 of that 
     Act urges you to ``take steps to show clear United States 
     support for Taiwan. . . .'' This expression of congressional 
     intent is consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act which sets 
     forth the policy of the United States ``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. . . .'' 22 U.S.C. 3301.
       Despite this expression of congressional intent, we were 
     embarrassed to learn that the Department of State refused the 
     request of the Honorable Lee Teng-hui, the freely elected 
     leader of the democratic Republic of China on Taiwan, to 
     overnight in Hawaii enroute to Costa Rica. We believe this 
     decision was ill advised. We were particularly dismayed to 
     hear that this decision was made to appease the PRC's 
     Ambassador who had protested the presence of President Lee on 
     American soil.
       Mr. President, we believe that our country should be doing 
     everything it can to promote close and friendly ties with the 
     Republic of China on Taiwan--a democratic country that is 
     extremely important to our economic and security interests in 
     East Asia. For that reason, we have attached a letter that we 
     have sent to the Honorable Lee Teng-hui inviting him to visit 
     our home states of Alaska and Colorado, and to be our guest 
     in Washington. We think that such a visit by Mr. Lee can go a 
     long way to repair the damage done by the recent snubbing at 
     the hands of the State Department, and to promote extensive, 
     close, and friendly relations with the people of the Republic 
     of China on Taiwan.
           Sincerely,
     Frank Murkowski,
     Hank Brown,
       U.S. Senators.
                                  ____



                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                     Washington, DC, May 17, 1994.
     Hon. Lee Teng-hui,
     President, Republic of China on Taiwan.
       Dear President Lee: The Republic of China on Taiwan, under 
     your leadership, has become a leader in the industrialized 
     world with a dynamic and growing economy and a prosperous and 
     free people. As Senators from states with a strong focus on 
     the Pacific Rim, we see tremendous opportunities to expand 
     and strengthen ties between the people of the United States 
     and the people of the Republic of China on Taiwan. We are 
     firmly in favor of preserving and promoting extensive, close, 
     and friendly commercial, cultural and other relations between 
     the United States and Taiwan.
       For that reason, we would like to formally invite you to 
     come to the United States to see for yourself the strong 
     sentiments and support for the Republic of China on Taiwan. 
     Specifically, we would like to invite you as our guest to 
     visit our home states--Alaska and Colorado. We would also be 
     honored if you could be our guest in Washington, D.C.
       Thank you for your consideration of our invitation.
           Sincerely,
     Hank Brown,
     Frank H. Murkowski,
       U.S. Senators.

                          ____________________