[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 14, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3854-S3855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RESOLUTION ALLOWING PRESIDENT LI TO VISIT THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise to discuss a concurrent 
resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the President of 
Taiwan, Li Teng-hui, be allowed to visit the United States.
  We submitted this concurrent resolution, Senate Concurrent Resolution 
9, last week. We had 36 bipartisan cosponsors, some 11 or 12 Democrats, 
and 24 or 25 Republicans.
  Specifically, the concurrent resolution calls on President Clinton to 
allow President Li to come to the United States on a private visit, as 
opposed to an official state visit. An identical concurrent resolution, 
House Concurrent Resolution 33, has been submitted in the House by 
Congressmen Lantos, Solomon, and Torricelli.
  Why should we simply let the People's Republic of China, our friends 
in China, dictate to us who can visit our country? The current State 
Department policy of saying that allowing Li to visit would upset 
relations with the People's Republic of China offends the Senator from 
Alaska. I think Taiwan has made great strides toward achieving some of 
the goals that we have achieved in our democracy, such as ending 
martial law, free and fair elections, a vocal press, and in human 
rights great advancements have taken place.
  Taiwan is a friendly, democratic, stable, prosperous country and the 
5th largest trading partner of the United States and the world's 13th, 
I might add. They buy twice as much from the United States as from the 
People's Republic of China. The largest foreign reserves per capita, 
and contribute to international causes. They are good international 
citizens.
  But the United States continues to give a cold shoulder to the leader 
of Taiwan. That leader, I might add, is going to run in a reelection 
effort. It is the first time they have had free and open elections. 
Last May, in Hawaii, the State Department refused to allow President Li 
to visit overnight while his plane refueled, and they indicated they 
would not allow a private visit. The rationale for that was that the 
President was going on to Central America and his plane had to land for 
refueling. I think it was the worst type of hospitality evidenced by 
the State Department in some time. We know that the People's Republic 
of China is going to bellow about everything we do regarding Taiwan--
United States pressures at the United Nations on human rights, World 
Trade Organization membership, and anything we do for Taiwan is raised 
as an issue by the People's Republic of China. But, in the end, they 
will make the same calculation about when to risk offending us on the 
U.S. market.
  I think that the precedent exists for President Li to visit the 
United States. Consider for a moment, Mr. President, that we have 
welcomed other unofficial leaders to the United States, such as Dalai 
Lama, who called on Vice President Gore--over the objections of the 
People's Republic of China. Yasser 
[[Page S3855]] Arafat came to the White House ceremony; he was once 
considered a terrorist. Gerry Adams has been granted numerous visas 
over British objections.
  In each case, the administration made direct choices to allow a visit 
to advance America's goals. Li's visit would do the same thing. United 
States-ROC Economic Counsel Conference will hold a meeting in 
Anchorage, AK. Visiting there would not be a political statement. We 
are almost another country, in the sense that we are a little out there 
in the western northern part of the hemisphere, if you will.
  What they are asking for here is for Li to visit his alma mater, 
Cornell University in New York. They would like him to come up in the 
spring and give an address to the students and faculty. I call on the 
administration to allow these events.
  I remind my colleagues, as we address the friction between Taiwan and 
China, that there are two organizations--one, the mainland People's 
Republic of China, and one in Taiwan. They meet regularly and discuss 
hijackings and commercial and trade activities--everything but 
politics. Chinese business men and women are probably the best in the 
world. They recognize that it is necessary that they maintain a dialog, 
and now we are seeing the opening up of some of the southern ports of 
China with direct shipment of goods originating in Taiwan. They will 
not have to go through Hong Kong anymore. So as we look at a stagnant 
relationship with Taiwan, clearly there is a dialog developing between 
Taiwan and the People's Republic of China. It is time that we allowed 
President Li to visit this country.
  Mr. President, that concludes my remarks. I see my friend from 
Illinois on the floor seeking recognition. I had the pleasure of 
accompanying him on a recent trip to North Korea and to China, as well. 
I am sure he has some observations.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. SIMON addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.

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