[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 103 (Thursday, June 22, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S8962]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



[[Page S 8962]]

EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE WITH RESPECT TO PEACE AND STABILITY 
                         IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

  Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to immediate consideration of calendar number 129, Senate 
Resolution 97.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 97) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate with respect to peace and stability in the South China 
     Sea.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign 
Relations with amendments; as follows:
  (The parts of the resolution intended to be stricken are shown in 
boldface brackets and the parts of the resolution intended to be 
inserted are shown in italic.)
                               S. Res. 97

       Whereas the South China Sea is a strategically important 
     waterway through which transits approximately 25 percent of 
     the World's ocean freight, including almost 70 percent of 
     Japan's oil supply;
       Whereas the South China Sea serves as a crucial sea lane 
     for naval vessels of the United States and other countries, 
     especially in times of emergency;
       Whereas the People's Republic of China, the Republic of the 
     Philippines, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Republic 
     of China on Taiwan, the State of Brunei Darussalam, and 
     Malaysia have overlapping and mutually exclusive claims to 
     portions of the South China Sea, especially in the Spratly 
     Island group;
       Whereas some of the nations which have claims to portions 
     of the South China Sea are modernizing their military forces, 
     strengthening their ability to project power outside their 
     domestic boundaries, and consequently, are altering the 
     strategic balance of power in the region;
       Whereas this power projection capability further drives the 
     concern of nations with territorial claims over acts of 
     aggression in the South China Sea by other nations with 
     claims;
       Whereas these competing claims have led to armed conflicts 
     between several of the claimants;
       Whereas these conflicts threaten the peace and stability of 
     all of East Asia; and
       Whereas the 1992 Manila Declaration of the Association of 
     South East Asian Nations, also recognized by the Socialist 
     Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of China, calls 
     on the claimants to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful 
     negotiated solution to the conflicts: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) [urges the executive branch to reiterate] reiterates to 
     the claimants in the South China Sea that the United States 
     does not take a position on any individual claim;
       (2) calls upon all of the claimants to refrain from using 
     military force or similarly aggressive action to assert or 
     expand territorial claims in the South China Sea;
       (3) urges the executive branch to declare the active 
     support of the United States for the 1992 Manila Declaration 
     of the Association of South East Asian Nations, and calls 
     upon all the claimants to observe faithfully its provisions; 
     and
       [(4) calls upon the claimants to scrupulously observe the 
     January, 1995 status quo ante pending any negotiations or 
     resolution of the conflicts between such claimants over such 
     claims.]
       (4) would view with profound concern and disapproval any 
     maritime claim or restriction on maritime activity in the 
     South China Sea not strictly consistent with international 
     law.

  Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution, as amended, be considered and agreed to, the preamble as 
amended be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and any statements relating to the resolution appear at the 
appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  So the resolution (S. Res. 97), as amended, was considered and agreed 
to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, is as 
follows:
  The resolution was not available for printing. It will appear in a 
future issue of the Record.


                          ____________________