[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 37 (Monday, March 18, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2216-S2217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I wanted to comment just a moment on an 
effort we made last week and intend to make again tomorrow relating to 
the affairs in the Taiwan Strait. All of us know that there has been 
now for some time a series of threats, a series of missiles, a series 
of live-ammunition military maneuvers by the People's Republic 
designed, we believe and I believe, to intimidate the Taiwanese 
election that comes up this week. Certainly, our country and the world, 
indeed, has a great interest in what happens in this area, partly 
because of our efforts to improve our relationship with the People's 
Republic of China--a relationship that will be increasingly important 
as time goes by, increasingly important to the Pacific rim and to the 
Asian

[[Page S2217]]

area, increasingly important in the area of trade; 1.2 billion people 
with an economy growing at 10 percent--partly because of our concern 
for Taiwan and the development there of a democracy, this election of 
the President, the first free election that has been held, one of the 
first areas of success of democracy in an Asian country; partly because 
of the agreements that we have made with Taiwan and China through the 
years, three communiques and the Taiwan Act that spells out where we 
are, spells out the fact that we have supported the one-China policy 
and continue to support the one-China policy, spells out the fact that 
basic to that agreement is the agreement that it be pursued in a 
peaceful way, and that it not be involved in the military action.
  So I think it is appropriate that we do have a statement from this 
Senate. We have put together a resolution. We put it together last 
week. It has sponsorship by the chairman of the Foreign Relations 
Committee as well as the ranking member, and is sponsored by the 
leader, Bob Dole. However, we were not able to bring it up by unanimous 
consent last week. We have now talked to those who were concerned about 
it, and hopefully we will be able to bring it up tomorrow and get it 
passed.
  The resolution basically, of course, deplores the notion and the 
activities of the Peoples Republic in these military actions, the idea 
that they have fired off missiles very close to Taiwan, close to both 
the ports of Taiwan, and now are involved in live-ammunition activities 
there.
  We have asked in the resolution for the People's Republic as well as 
Taiwan to come together to discuss these issues in a peaceful way. We 
also recognize our obligation, if there is military action against 
Taiwan by the People's Republic, that we will assist in helping them 
prepare for themselves to have the equipment to defend themselves.
  Hopefully, these activities are simply efforts to intimidate. I 
believe they are. I believe they are simply an expression of the 
concern that the People's Republic has had, and I hope that they will 
discontinue that kind of activity. I further hope the Taiwanese will go 
out of their way not to create the kind of tension that we have had.
  So, Mr. President, we intend to bring again, tomorrow, a resolution 
that will put the Senate on record in that regard.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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