[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 96 (Thursday, July 21, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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

 
           TAIWAN'S MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

 Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I rise today to call this body's 
attention to an important editorial appearing in last Saturday's New 
York Times. The editorial calls for the admission of the Republic of 
China, more widely known as Taiwan, into the Asian Regional Forum. ARF 
is a new organization created to address the numerous serious security 
problems facing the Asia-Pacific region.
  For example, six nations--China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, 
and the Philippines--dispute, and occasionally fight over, the Spratly 
Islands in the South China Sea. Those islands, as well as the contested 
Parcels to the north, lie in crucial sealanes and in the middle of what 
may be among the richest untapped oil fields in the world. Japan and 
Russia both lay claim to the Northern Territories, as they are called 
in Japan, the Kurile Islands as they are referred to by the Russians. 
Peace in Cambodia remains tenuous. The country experienced a coup 
attempt earlier this month and faces ongoing threats from the Khmer 
Rouge. Malaysia and Indonesia confront separatist movements. Armed 
rebels plague the southern islands of the Philippines. Burma's 
government, the State Law and Order Restoration Council, brutalizes its 
population and thrives on the drug trade. Most dangerous of all, of 
course, is North Korea's nuclear program and its precariously 
positioned regime.
  The Asian Regional Forum, which will conduct its first meeting later 
this month, holds at least some promise for resolving these and other 
problems through negotiation rather than confrontation.
  We should recognize how crucial the Asia Pacific's relative stability 
over the years has been to its spectacular growth. With the end of the 
cold war, the region's many latent security problems pose a direct 
challenge to the stability undergirding economic success. That success, 
moreover, has benefited not just the people of East Asia. It has also 
directly benefited the citizens of the United States. More American 
exports are sent to the Asia Pacific than to any other region of the 
world. And we all know that exports mean jobs. Therefore, it is in 
America's interest, as well as the interest of the Asia Pacific region, 
that peace and stability be maintained.
  Asia never has had institutions comparable to those of Europe which 
did so much to foster that continent's stability. Recently, however, a 
number of efforts have been undertaken to create new post-cold war 
institutions for the Pacific Basin. APEC, the Asia Pacific Economic 
Cooperation process, is the most important of these new bodies. Though 
still in its infancy, APEC has begun to play a meaningful role in 
fostering more open trade and investment in the region. The Asian 
Regional Forum has the potential for playing a similarly important role 
in addressing Asia Pacific security problems.

  Last year, Beijing finally allowed Taiwan's admission to APEC when 
Taiwan agreed to call itself ``Chinese Taipei'' and consider itself an 
economic rather than political entity in the organization. Since the 
PRC maintains that there is only one China--which encompasses Taiwan--
it asserts that Taiwan cannot have a seat at the table of organizations 
such as ARF, which address issues involving nations rather than 
economies. As we all know, however, in the real world, Taiwan functions 
independently of China. Taipei has a vibrant economy, thriving 
democratic institutions and impressive defense capabilities.
  As I have mentioned, Taiwan and China both hold claims to the Spratly 
Islands. China also asserts the right to invade Taiwan at any time that 
Taipei behaves overly independently. Both these issues pose a serious 
threat to the peace and security of the region as well as the vital 
interests of the United States.
  These two issues, as well as many others involving China and Taiwan, 
deserve open discussion. The Asian Regional Forum could foster such 
discussion--but obviously only if Taiwan were able to participate. Mr. 
President, the time has come for China to acknowledge reality and 
permit Taiwan a voice in the Asian Regional Forum.
  I might add that I have a certain amount of personal experience in 
dealing with the problems Taiwan faces in joining international 
organizations. For the past 3 years, I have been actively involved in 
the establishment of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum, a group 
designed to bring together parliamentarians from the Asia Pacific to 
consider the political ramifications of APEC activities, trade and 
investment issues, and regional security problems. APPF has bipartisan 
support in this country and has been enthusiastically endorsed by the 
administration.
  Unfortunately, China has been successful in keeping Taiwan out of 
APPF thus far, despite the fact that most all APPF participants support 
Taiwan's membership. There is wide agreement among members of APPF that 
China's intransigence has made it more difficult for the group to 
accomplish its goals.
  I should also add that I have long been a supporter of Taiwan's entry 
into the GATT and now the World Trade Organization. I believe it 
essential that the world's most important multilateral trade body 
include Taiwan as it constitutes the 13th largest trader. In addition, 
Taiwan's manifest global clout and influence make it vital, in my 
opinion, that it become a member of the United Nations.
   Mr. President, I ask that the New York Times editorial of last 
Saturday appear at the end of my remarks in the Record.
  The editorial follows:

                          Look Again at Taiwan

       If buying $8 billion worth of American products entitles 
     China to flout President Clinton's human rights requirements 
     and still win renewal of its trade privileges, buying twice 
     that amount should entitle Taiwan to a little diplomatic 
     respect.
       Taiwan has one of Asia's most developed economies, best 
     armed militaries and most vibrant democracies. Yet Taiwan's 
     President is not allowed to stay overnight on American soil, 
     Taiwanese officials are not allowed to meet their U.S. 
     counterparts in government buildings and Taiwan's diplomatic 
     offices in this country cannot use any name that would 
     identify the country they represent.
       This charade reflects the long-held position of both Taipei 
     and Beijing that there is only one China and that it includes 
     both the mainland and Taiwan. Washington abided by this 
     fiction both before and after it switched U.S. recognition 
     from Nationalist Taiwan to the Communist mainland in 1979,
       But in reality two distinct societies, economies and 
     political systems have grown up on either side of the Taiwan 
     Straits. And despite its official ``one China policy,'' 
     Taipei now seeks diplomatic recognition as a separate 
     political entity.
       That has prompted the Clinton Administration to undertake a 
     cautious review of U.S. policy. The resulting recommendations 
     await White House approval. They would east some of the more 
     humiliating diplomatic restrictions now in force. Cabinet-
     level visits in both directions would be permitted. Meetings 
     could take place on official premises. Taiwan's unofficial 
     representative offices could be renamed. These are useful 
     steps, meant to make it easier for Americans to do business 
     with the country's fifth-largest trading partner.
       But recognizing reality should not stop there. Taiwan is 
     too important a factor in East Asian politics, economics and 
     security to be left out of the new post-cold war order now 
     taking shape. It belongs in the new World Trade Organization. 
     It ought to be included in the Asean Regional Forum on 
     security being launched in Bangkok later this month. And 
     ideally, it should be admitted to the U.N.
       The main obstacle to Taiwan's inclusion in such 
     organizations is the bellicose opposition of mainland China, 
     which openly asserts the right to invade and annex Taiwan if 
     the Government there acts too independently. Beijing claims 
     that its relations with Taiwan are an internal matter to be 
     resolved by the two sides along without outside involvement.
       It is not in America's interest to provoke China on this 
     score. But shutting Taiwan out of international forums also 
     carries risks for the U.S. Under present arrangements, if 
     China made good on its threats to attack, other Asian 
     countries would look the other way while the United States, 
     alone, would find itself caught in the middle of the fray.
       Last year, Washington helped arrange a compromise formula 
     that let Taiwan participate in the Asia-Pacific economic 
     summit meetings in Seattle. Now it should begin exploring 
     ways to involve Taiwan in the new regional security forum as 
     well.

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