[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
             THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA CELEBRATES NATIONAL DAY

                                 ______


                       HON. SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 7, 1994

  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, on October 10, the 21 million people of 
the Republic of China will celebrate National Day, commemorating the 
date in 1911 when this brave, intrepid nation was founded by Sun Yat-
sen as the first republic in Asia.
  This should be a joyous time for our friends, they have toiled long 
and hard to become an economic leader. They engineered a political 
transformation from authoritarian rule to a working democracy with 
legalized opposition parties and a free press. The ROC is the success 
story that the rest of the world's emerging democracies can learn from.
  However, with all its economic and democratic success, the Republic 
of China is still treated like a virtual pariah in the international 
community. The ROC is not allowed to participate in the United Nations. 
Recently, our own President Bill Clinton refused ROC President Lee 
Teng-hui's request to stay overnight in Hawaii. All this, in hopes of 
not angering People's Republic of China--mainland China. The people of 
the Republic of China need and want our support and hospitality, not a 
slap in the face and a no vacancy sign on the door.
  American economic and political interests in Asia are served by the 
stability of the Taiwan Straits. We must work with the President to 
forge a policy that enhances the ROC's legitimacy and international 
standing. We should no longer allow outdated and misguided political 
motives to tarnish the accomplishments this nation has worked so hard 
to earn and deny the international respect the ROC so richly deserves.
  In closing, I would just like to bid farewell to a distinguished 
public servant and friend from the Republic of China, the Honorable 
Moushih Ding. He has been promoted to the post of Secretary General of 
the National Security Council in Taipei. During his last 6 years here 
with the Coordinating Council for North American Affairs, Mr. Ding 
honorably represented his country and worked tirelessly to foster good 
relations between our two countries. He will be missed greatly. 
However, I look forward to working with his successor Mr. Benjamin Lu, 
the Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative 
Office in the United States.

                          ____________________