[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
     TAIWAN IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: VIEWS OF DR. TRONG CHAI

 Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, the 21 million people of Taiwan 
constitute the largest democratic society without an effective voice in 
international organizations. Despite that country's explosive growth in 
GDP and its progress in building a democratic political system--areas 
in which, I would note, Beijing comes nowhere close to Taipei--Taiwan 
finds itself closed out of major multilateral bodies such as the United 
Nations and the GATT. That is one reason why earlier this session I 
introduced a resolution that called for reintegration of Taiwan into 
international institutions, as well as a significant improvement in 
terms of dialog between the United States and Taiwan. I am pleased that 
so many colleagues joined me in cosponsoring or voting for that 
measure.
  Of course, the question of Taiwan's representation in international 
institutions is also a very important one to that country's 
legislators. One such man is Dr. Trong Chai, a major leader in the 
Taiwanese parliament's principal opposition party, the Democratic 
Progress Party. It is a measure of Dr. Chai's commitment to Taiwan's 
future that, when democratic political action became possible, he gave 
up his American citizenship in order to run for parliament there.
  The question of how best to get Taiwan into the United Nations is one 
to which Dr. Chai has devoted considerable thought. In his view, the 
country would stand a better chance applying under the name ``Taiwan,'' 
rather than under the name ``Republic of China.'' Dr. Chai recommends 
that the people of Taiwan be given the chance to vote in a referendum 
on the question of which name it should use.
  I am not going to advocate or discourage the referendum proposal, 
which is one with domestic political repercussions in Taiwan, and one 
that ultimately the people of Taiwan must decide themselves. But as 
someone who has known and respected Dr. Chai for some years, I always 
listen with interest his proposals on Taiwan and the world 
stage.

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