[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 107 (Friday, August 5, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND 
                  RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, if it is 
agreeable to the Senator from Iowa, at this time to set aside the 
pending amendment in order that Senator Brown may offer his amendment.
  Mr. HARKIN. I have no objection. I hope we can get a time agreement.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I am prepared to yield back the remaining 
time. The Republican leader said he wanted to speak. He is unable to. I 
understand from the Senator from Hawaii that the same is true in his 
case.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I agree to the unanimous-consent request 
that we set the pending amendment aside; that we recognize the Senator 
from Colorado [Mr. Brown] for his Taiwan amendment, and that the 
Senator from Colorado have 10 minutes; then at the end of his 10 
minutes, we will return to the amendment offered by the Senator from 
Arizona.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Chair inquires of the Senator from Iowa, is it his intention that 
his request be that the pending amendment and the underlying amendment 
be set aside?
  Mr. HARKIN. Yes, exactly, that both be set aside.
  Mr. McCAIN. Reserving the right to object, is it also the view of the 
Senator from Iowa that we have both votes, on both the Brown and the 
McCain amendments, at approximately 1:15?
  Mr. HARKIN. I am hopeful that we can do that. That will have to be 
checked further. I hope we just go ahead and go to the Brown amendment. 
Let us take that up. We will try to get this time worked out.
  Mr. McCAIN. I do not object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Chair recognizes the Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I rise to offer an amendment to the 
committee amendment on behalf of myself, Senators Simon, Murkowski, and 
Lieberman.


   Amendment No. 2462 to the Excepted Committee Amendment on Page 51

  (Purpose: To ensure that the President of the Republic of China on 
        Taiwan can enter the United States on certain occasions)

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for 
its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Colorado [Mr. Brown], for himself, Mr. 
     Simon, Mr. Murkowski, and Mr. Lieberman, proposes an 
     amendment numbered 2462.

  The amendment is as follows:

       At the appropriate place in the committee amendment, add 
     the following new section--

     ``SEC.  . VISAS FOR OFFICIALS OF TAIWAN.

       Section 4(b)(6) of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 
     3302(b)(6) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(A)'' immediately after ``(6)''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) Whenever the president of Taiwan or any other high-
     level official of Taiwan shall apply to visit the United 
     States for the purposes of discussions with United States 
     federal or state government officials concerning:
       (i) Trade or business with Taiwan that will reduce the 
     U.S.-Taiwan trade deficit;
       (ii) Prevention of nuclear proliferation;
       (iii) Threats to the national security of the United 
     States;
       (iv) The protection of the global environment;
       (v) The protection of endangered species; or
       (vi) Regional humanitarian disasters.
       The official shall be admitted to the United States, unless 
     the official is otherwise excludable under the immigration 
     laws of the United States.''.

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I asked that the amendment be read in full 
to the body because it is very brief and to the point. The point is 
simply this:
  This country has had a policy of excluding or denying visas to 
officials from Taiwan to visit this country. Members may have varied 
and differing feelings on that subject. I, for my own part, believe it 
is a great mistake to refuse to talk with our friends in Taiwan, or to 
refuse to permit them to visit.
  The purpose of this amendment is self-evident. It pinpoints some 
specific instances in which the Congress can go on record as favoring 
visits by Taiwanese officials.
  Back on May 4, the President of Taiwan stopped overnight in Hawaii. 
He was on his way to Costa Rica. He had asked for an opportunity to 
spend the night in Hawaii during his trip. This democratically elected 
leader of a foreign country, who is our fifth largest trading partner, 
who has stood side-by-side with us in conflicts around the world, was 
denied even the opportunity to stay overnight in Hawaii. It is almost 
unbelievable. Taiwan is a country that wants to be our friend--one of 
our bigger trading partners--and this administration will not even 
permit the democratically elected leader of Taiwan to stay overnight. 
The administration's unbelievable treatment of our distinguished 
Taiwanese guest prompted this amendment.
  It is in this Nation's interest to at least allow contacts with 
Taiwanese officials on specific matters. What is included in this 
amendment are matters that I suspect no Member of this body will find 
objectionable. It requires that in discussions with regard to United 
States-Taiwan trade matters, and the trade deficit, we will permit them 
to talk with us. It also requires that for discussions of efforts to 
prevent nuclear proliferation, Taiwanese officials should be admitted; 
for threats to the national security of the United States, Taiwanese 
officials should be admitted; for discussions involving protection of 
the global environment; protection of endangered species; and regional 
humanitarian disasters--for discussions in these narrow, specific 
areas, the Taiwanese leadership will be admitted. All of these are 
areas I believe every Member of this body feels are appropriate and 
necessary, and it would be unreasonable to exclude Taiwanese officials 
from the United States to discuss these matters.
  I am going to ask for a recorded vote on this amendment, because it 
is important that we go on record to let the Nation and the world know 
that we believe this kind of discussion and debate is important and 
helpful.
  Mr. President, it is incredible at a time when we are facing 
potential problems--conflicts around the world--that we would be 
unwilling to even allow officials of the Taiwanese Government, who are 
our friends, major trading partners, who believe in democracy, who have 
stood side-by-side with us in a variety of conflicts, that we would 
prohibit them from even visiting this country. Thus, Mr. President, 
this amendment is offered. It is one I think would be helpful to set 
forth the opinions and the views of the American people. I hope it will 
result in a change in our policy toward Taiwan.
  I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent at this time to 
have printed in the Record a letter from Senator Paul Simon to his 
colleagues on this subject, dated May 5, and also a letter from the 
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and six of its 
members regarding this subject, as well.
  There being no objection, the letters were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                      Washington, DC, May 5, 1994.
       Dear Colleague: Yesterday, the United States slighted 
     President Li of Taiwan when he was in our country. The Taiwan 
     government had asked for an overnight stop for President Li 
     in Honolulu, en route from Taiwan to Costa Rica. The 
     ambassador of the People's Republic made a strong protest; 
     the administration considered not allowing any stop at all; 
     the compromise was a 90-minute refueling stop.
       President Li was not allowed to disembark in Honolulu. No 
     ranking official of our government was on hand to welcome the 
     freely-elected leader of a friendly and prosperous democracy 
     which has, in contrast to the People's Republic, an exemplary 
     human rights record. Yesterday I expressed my dismay to 
     Secretary Christopher in the attached letter.
       Increased focus this spring, both here and in the 
     administration, on China's deplorable human rights record and 
     the President's upcoming determination on its MFN status 
     should not mean U.S. neglect of its important relationship 
     with Taiwan (the Republic of China). That view was widely 
     shared when we adopted Section 508 of the Foreign Relations 
     Authorization Act, signed by the President on April 30, 
     expressing the sense of the Congress that:
       ``in addition to Cabinet-level visits, the President should 
     take steps to show clear United States support for Taiwan. . 
     .''
       Is President Li's treatment ``clear U.S. support for 
     Taiwan''?
       Since last year, the administration has held off completing 
     a review of U.S. policy toward Taiwan. It has sought to delay 
     Senate hearings on policy toward Taiwan. Now, we are given to 
     understand that the policy review will be completed after the 
     President's decision on China's MFN status is announced.
       Before June 3, I will seek passage of my Taiwan resolution, 
     S. Res. 148, which encourages full participation by 
     representatives of Taiwan in the U.N. as well as Cabinet-
     level exchanges between the U.S. and Taiwan. S. Res. 148, 
     which is attached, now has 22 co-sponsors.
       I hope you will consider joining us in supporting S. Res. 
     148.
                                                       Paul Simon,
                                                     U.S. Senator.
                                  ____



                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                    Washington, DC, July 25, 1994.
     Hon. Ronald V. Dellums,
     Chairman, House Armed Services Committee, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Floyd Spence,
     Ranking Member, House Armed Services Committee, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Chairman Dellums and Mr. Spence: In May, the United 
     States turned down a request by President Lee of Taiwan to 
     overnight in Hawaii en route to Costa Rica. Instead, we only 
     permitted him to land for 90 minutes to refuel.
       Taiwan is the United States' fifth largest trading partner, 
     one of our closest allies in the Pacific and a functioning 
     democracy. In our view, the Administration's policy of 
     refusing entry to Taiwan's president does not make sense.
       Consequently, during consideration of the Defense 
     Authorization Bill for FY1995, the Senate included a 
     provision to ensure that the President of Taiwan and other 
     high-level Taiwanese will be admitted to the United States 
     for discussions of matters directly related to U.S. 
     interests, including:
       (a) Trade or business with Taiwan that will reduce the 
     U.S.-Taiwan trade deficit;
       (b) Prevention of nuclear proliferation;
       (c) Threats to the national security of the United States;
       (d) The protection of the global environment;
       (e) The protection of endangered species; or
       (f) Regional humanitarian disasters.
       We strongly urge you to include the Brown-Simon amendment 
     concerning ``Visas for Officials of Taiwan'' in the final 
     version of the conference report.
           Sincerely,
     Claiborne Pell,
     Charles S. Robb,
     Paul Simon,
     Jesse Helms,
     Frank Murkowski,
     Hank Brown,
                                                    U.S. Senators.


                visas for high-level taiwanese officials

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my good friend 
from Colorado, Senator Brown, in offering this amendment to ensure that 
high-level officials from the Taiwanese Government will be issued visas 
to visit the United States to discuss issues of mutual interest to our 
two governments.
  I find it shocking that this amendment is even necessary. The Taiwan 
Relations Act was passed ``to promote the foreign policy of the United 
States by authorizing the continuation of commercial, cultural, and 
other relations between the people of the United States and the people 
on Taiwan,'' 22 U.S.C. 3301. This policy has been impeded because of 
the U.S. Government's restrictive policies on high-level visits.
  I remind my colleagues that Taiwan is the world's 13th largest 
trading partner and the United States 5th largest trading partner. With 
$16.2 billion in United States exports to Taiwan in 1993, it was the 
United States' second largest export market in the Asia-Pacific region, 
after Japan. It holds the world's largest foreign reserves. Taiwan is 
friendly, democratic, stable and prosperous. Its human rights record 
has steadily improved.
  And how do we treat this democratic country that plays such an 
important part in our economic and security interests in East Asia? I 
believe we wrongly treat them like an international pariah. In May of 
this year, I was 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 en route to Costa Rica. I believe this decision was extremely 
ill-advised. Similar snubs have met other high-ranking Taiwanese 
officials. For instance, Taiwanese officials are forced to meet with 
U.S. Government officials in hotels, rather than Government buildings, 
even though they are discussing issues that are of mutual interest to 
the people of both countries.
  The U.S. Government has the opportunity to make long overdue changes 
to its policy. For well over a year, the United States Government has 
been engaged in an interagency review of its policy toward Taiwan. 
President Clinton could take important steps to show clear United 
States support for Taiwan as part of this policy review. He could begin 
by welcoming President Lee Teng-hui on U.S. soil for a visit. There is 
ample precedent for such a visit by the leader of a country with which 
we don't maintain formal diplomatic ties. Senator Brown and I also 
would like the State Department to allow President Lee to visit our 
home States of Alaska and Colorado as part of our efforts to expand and 
strengthen ties between the people of the United States and the people 
of Taiwan.
  President Clinton could also incorporate high-level exchanges into 
its new policy. I encourage President Clinton to send one of his 
Cabinet officers to Taiwan this fall. Fifty three of my colleagues 
joined me in letter to the President inviting him to do just that. Such 
visits will promote American interests in Taiwan and ensure the 
continued success of American business projects.
  Even small, but symbolic changes, such as allowing the Coordination 
Council on North American Affairs to change its name to the Taipei 
Representative Office will show that the United States is prepared to 
treat the people of Taiwan with the respect they deserve.
  Mr. President, I know my colleagues have supported many amendments 
over the past year that have had the intent of sending a signal both to 
the United States Government and to the people of Taiwan that the 
United States Senate supports positive changes in United States policy 
toward Taiwan. I am confident that this amendment will be added to that 
list. I hope the administration is listening.

                          ____________________