[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 153 (Thursday, September 28, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1870-E1871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MORE BEIJING THREATS

                                 ______


                         HON. DAVID FUNDERBURK

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 28, 1995

  Mr. FUNDERBURK. Mr. Speaker, earlier in the year the House 
shamelessly handed the aging rulers of Communist China another 
bloodless victory. The House, the Senate, and the President gleefully 
renewed legislation granting most favored nation trading status to Red 
China.
  I said then and I say now that kowtowing to the old boys in Beijing 
is a stain on American honor. Communist China has murdered millions. It 
runs the world's most sinister and extensive gulag. Its slave camps 
turn out textiles which put people in my State out of business. It 
continues systematic persecution of religious and political dissidents. 
The Beijing rulers even had the gall to arrest Chinese American freedom 
fighter Harry Wu and then threaten retaliation against American 
interests because 

[[Page E 1871]]
we allowed the President of the Republic of China--free China--to visit 
the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, as if that were not enough, there is another facet to 
the Chinese problem which is potentially more ominous than all of the 
Chinese crimes which I have cataloged. The Chinese are engaged in the 
most aggressive military modernization program of any nation in the 
world. They are building and buying a blue water navy. They have 
recently completed a series of offensive missile tests off the coast of 
Taiwan.
  Taiwan poses no military threat to the Beijing dictators. There is 
only one reason for the Communists to embark on a missile buildup. They 
are deathly afraid that free China, with its robust markets and its 
expanding democracy, will provide the world with a stark contrast to 
the crimes and deficiencies of the Communist dictatorship. They believe 
that their missile tests will intimidate free China and force it off 
the world stage. Of course, they don't understand the mettle of free 
people.
  Mr. Speaker, our State Departmemt has turned a blind eye to the 
threat posed to all of Asia by Beijing. While the Communists arm, Foggy 
Bottom does business as usual. Enough is enough. It is time to finally 
take a stand for freedom and draw a line in the sand against Communist 
aggression before its too late for our friends on Taiwan and across 
Asia.
  Mr. Speaker, I have included for the House's review a chronology of 
Beijing's latest series of threats against free China.

                         Chinese Missile Tests

       Background: September 30, 1994, President Lee Teng-hui of 
     the Republic of China told the Wall Street Journal that he 
     was willing to meet with PRC leaders to discuss relations 
     between the ROC and the PRC. Beijing said no.
       January 30, 1995, PRC leader Jiang Zemin issued an eight-
     point plan for future bilateral relations between the 
     mainland and Taiwan,
       April 8, 1995, President Lee formally responded to 
     President Jiang's eight points with a six-point 
     counterproposal.
       May 22, 1995, bowing to Congressional pressure, President 
     Clinton decided to allow President Lee to visit Lee's alma 
     mater, Cornell University.
       June 9, 1995, President Lee delivered the Olin Speech at 
     Cornell University.
       July 21, through 26, 1995, PRC forces staged ballistic 
     missile exercises near Taiwan. The missiles were all MTCR 
     class, four short range and two intermediate range. All were 
     modern, mobile nuclear-capable. The tests in the open sea 80 
     miles from Taiwan forced the closure of fisheries and the 
     diversion of commercial flights. The Taiwan stock market 
     promptly plunged 6.8 percent amid jitters about a Chinese 
     attack.
       August 15 through 25, 1995, PRC forces resumed military 
     exercises in the Taiwan Strait. A second round of guided 
     missile tests. Firings of guided missiles and live artillery 
     shells in the East China Sea north of Taiwan. The tests zone 
     off Zhejiang is a few miles north of the area where China's 
     military test-fired six surface-to-surface missiles from July 
     21 through July 26.
       In addition, PRC launched strong personal attacks on 
     President Lee Teng-hui. PRC's People's Daily (overseas 
     edition), in four separate commentaries, called Lee stubborn, 
     insisting on separating Taiwan from the motherland, creating 
     two China's employing ``money diplomacy,'' ``vacation 
     diplomacy'' and ``alumni diplomacy.'' Lee is a traitor and an 
     advocate of Taiwan independence.
       President Lee's response to the PRC: In a September 1 
     interview with Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, 
     President Lee makes clear that ``he is not seeking 
     internationally recognized independence for Taiwan . . .  
     desire to . . . resume the quiet dialogue that had been 
     going on between Beijing and Taipei. . . . ''
       Results of the missile tests and personal attacks on Lee: 
     Fear and panic throughout Taiwan. The stock market plummeted 
     to a 20-month low. Land prices sagged. Also, the Taiwan 
     dollar has hit a 4-year low of 27.36 to the U.S. dollar.
       PRC's motives: cutting support for President Lee Teng-hui 
     and creating tensions in the Taiwan Straits before the 
     island's December parliamentary elections and next March's 
     presidential elections. Warning Taipei not to try to raise 
     its world status such as returning to the United Nations or 
     practicing ``pragmatic diplomacy.''
       PRC threats continue: The worst nightmare in Asia is a 
     Chinese invasion of Taiwan. PRC regards Taiwan as a renegade 
     province, and repeatedly warns that it reserves the right to 
     use force to recover Taiwan.
       Clinton administration's response to China's escalation of 
     its war of nerves against Taiwan has been nearly non-
     existent. Wall Street Journal (8/17/95) warns that if the 
     administration ``continues to treat the threats to Taiwan 
     with nonchalance, it will risk new political instability in a 
     region that has been the major contributor to global economic 
     growth.''
       What is needed now? Wall Street Journal (8/17/95) calls for 
     the Seventh Fleet to patrol the area: ``The U.S. has held 
     back out of fear of seeming provocative over what looked like 
     a shadow boxing exercise. But that has sent the wrong 
     message, as China's escalation of the tests has demonstrated.

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