[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 129 (Thursday, September 24, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1798]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1798]]
              COMMENDING PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI OF TAIWAN

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                           HON. ROBERT SMITH

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 24, 1998

  Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I hereby submit the attached 
statement for the Congressional Record regarding Taiwanese President 
Lee Teng-hui's leadership in seeking a peaceful solution to the Taiwan/
China reunification issue.

       President Lee Teng-hui Seeks Dialogue with Mainland China

       As The Republic of China on Taiwan gets ready to celebrate 
     their forthcoming National Day, President Lee Teng-hui has 
     urged his mainland China counterparts to consider seriously 
     proposals for a meeting between top leaders, cooperation on 
     assistance to Southeast Asian countries, cooperation in 
     agriculture, an offshore transshipment center, assistance on 
     the reform of state enterprises, and cultural exchanges.
       So far, the Chinese communists have been lukewarm towards 
     President Lee's many gestures of goodwill. The Chinese 
     communists insist on the undemocratic ``one country, two 
     systems'' arrangement as the way to solve the reunification 
     issue.
       President Lee has made it very clear that the people on 
     Taiwan cannot accept such an arrangement. The Republic of 
     China has 87 years of history as a constitutional sovereign 
     country and it can't turn itself into a local government.
       We hope that both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland will find 
     a peaceful solution to the reunification issue. In the 
     meantime as we better our relations with the Chinese 
     mainland, we should further strengthen our ties to Taiwan. 
     After all, Taiwan has been our ally since its founding 87 
     years ago.

     

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