[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 11 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1236-S1238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 3--RELATIVE TO TAIWAN AND THE UNITED 
                                NATIONS

  Mr. SIMON (for himself and Mr. Brown) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                             S. Con. Res. 3

       Whereas, China has been a divided nation since 1949, and 
     the governments of the Republic of China on Taiwan 
     (hereinafter cited as ``Taiwan'') and the People's Republic 
     of China on Mainland China (hereinafter cited as ``Mainland 
     China'') have exercised exclusive jurisdiction over separate 
     parts of China;
       Whereas, Taiwan has the 19th largest gross national product 
     in the world, a strong and vibrant economy, and one of the 
     largest foreign exchange reserves of any nation;
       Whereas, Taiwan has dramatically improved its record on 
     human rights and routinely holds free and fair elections in a 
     multiparty system, as evidenced most recently by the December 
     3, 1994 balloting for local and provincial officials;
       Whereas, the 21 million people on Taiwan are not 
     represented in the United Nations and their human rights as 
     citizens of the world are therefore severely abridged;
       Whereas, Taiwan has in recent years repeatedly expressed 
     its strong desire to participate in the United Nations;
       Whereas, Taiwan has much to contribute to the work and 
     funding of the United Nations;
       Whereas, Taiwan has demonstrated its commitment to the 
     world community by responding to international disasters and 
     crises such as environmental destruction in the Persian Gulf 
     and famine in Rwanda by providing financial donations, 
     medical assistance, and other forms of aid;
       Whereas, the world community has reacted positively to 
     Taiwan's desire for international participation, as shown by 
     Taiwan's continued membership in the Asian Development Bank, 
     the admission of Taiwan into the Asia-Pacific Economic 
     Cooperation group as a full member, and the accession of 
     Taiwan as an observer at the General Agreement on Tariffs and 
     Trade as the first step toward becoming a contracting party 
     to that organization;
       Whereas, The United States has supported Taiwan's 
     participation in these bodies and indicated, in its policy 
     review of September 1994, a stronger and more active policy 
     of support for Taiwan's participation in other international 
     organizations; [[Page S1238]] 
       Whereas, Taiwan has repeatedly stated that its 
     participation in international organizations is that of a 
     divided nation, with no intention to challenge the current 
     international status of Mainland China;
       Whereas, the United Nations and other international 
     organizations have established precedents concerning the 
     admission of separate parts of divided nations, such as Korea 
     and Germany; and
       Whereas, Taiwan's participation in international 
     organizations would not prevent or imperil a future voluntary 
     union between Taiwan and Mainland China any more than the 
     recognition of separate governments in the former West 
     Germany and the former East Germany prevented the voluntary 
     reunification of Germany;
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
       (1) Taiwan deserves full participation, including a seat, 
     in the United Nations; and
       (2) the government of the United States should immediately 
     encourage the United Nations to establish an ad hoc committee 
     for the purpose of studying membership for Taiwan in that 
     organization and its related agencies.

  Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, there are more than 180 countries in the 
United Nations. They range from the world's largest countries in area, 
in population, in economic output, down to some very small countries 
indeed, countries that are smaller than some counties in my own State 
of Illinois. I have nothing against those small countries being members 
of the United Nations. On the contrary, I feel that any country capable 
of making a real contribution to the activities of the United Nations 
should have the opportunity to do so as a full member of that 
organization.
  For that reason, it is all the more unfortunate that a country of 21 
million people, a country that has made great strides in consolidating 
democratic institutions and practices, a country that has become a 
significant economic power and a major contributor to international 
assistance efforts--that such a country should find itself closed out 
of the United Nations.
  I am speaking, of course, of Taiwan.
  Together with my cosponsor, Senator Brown, I am pleased to submit 
today a Senate Concurrent Resolution that reaffirms, as the sense of 
the Senate, what many of us in this Chamber have already concluded: 
That Taiwan deserves to participate fully in the United Nations as a 
full member, and that the U.S. Government should encourage the United 
Nations to begin studying means to bring this about. Congressman 
Solomon introduced an identical resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 
8, earlier this month.
  I would especially like to call my colleagues' attention to a 
particular element of this resolution: namely, that in seeking 
membership in the United Nations and other international institutions, 
Taipei does not intend to challenge the current international status of 
Beijing. Rather, Taiwan would seek admission as part of a divided 
nation. There are precedents for this; this has worked before. East and 
West Germany were admitted to the United Nations as separate parts of a 
divided nation; North and South Korea were admitted to the United 
Nations as separate parts of a divided nation.
  I am pleased that, last June, the Senate agreed to by voice vote a 
similar resolution expressing the sense that Taiwan should be brought 
into the United Nations. There have been some changes in the political 
makeup of the Congress since then. I think that is all the more reason, 
then, that the Senate should go on record and affirm something that has 
not changed: Our support for Taiwan's integration into international 
institutions. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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