[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 39 (Thursday, March 11, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2605-S2606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 17--CONCERNING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
                          TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT

  Mr. MURKOWSKI (for himself, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. Lott, Mr. Helms, Mr. 
Thomas, Mr. Burns, Mr. Kyl, and Mr. Rockefeller) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committeeon 
Foreign Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 17

       Whereas April 10, 1999, will mark the 20th anniversary of 
     the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act, codifying in 
     public law the basis for continued commercial, cultural, and 
     other relations between the United States and democratic 
     Taiwan;
       Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act was advanced by Congress 
     and supported by the executive branch as a critical tool to 
     preserve and promote extensive, close, and friendly 
     commercial, cultural, and other relations between the United 
     States and the Republic of China on Taiwan;
       Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act has been instrumental in 
     maintaining peace, security, and stability in the Taiwan 
     Strait since its enactment in 1979;
       Whereas, when the Taiwan Relations Act was enacted, it 
     reaffirmed that the United States decision to establish 
     diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China is 
     based upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be 
     determined by peaceful means;
       Whereas officials of the People's Republic of China refuse 
     to renounce the use of force against democratic Taiwan;
       Whereas the defense modernization and weapons procurement 
     efforts by the People's Republic of China, as documented in 
     the February 1, 1999, report by the Secretary of Defense on 
     ``The Security Situation in the Taiwan Strait'', could 
     threaten cross-strait and East Asian stability and United 
     States interests in the East Asia region;
       Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act provides explicit 
     guarantees that the United States will make available defense 
     articles and defense services in such quantities as may be 
     necessary for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense 
     capability;
       Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act requires timely reviews by 
     United States military authorities of Taiwan's defense needs 
     in connection with recommendations to the President and 
     Congress;
       Whereas Congress and the President are committed by section 
     3(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3302(b)) to 
     determine the nature and quantity of what Taiwan's legitimate 
     needs are for its self-defense;
       Whereas the Republic of China on Taiwan routinely makes 
     informal requests to United States Government officials, 
     which are discouraged or declined informally by United States 
     Government personnel;
       Whereas it is the policy of the United States to reject any 
     attempt to curb the provision by the United States of defense 
     articles and defense services legitimately needed for 
     Taiwan's self-defense;
       Whereas it is the current executive branch policy to bar 
     most high-level dialog regarding regional stability with 
     senior military officials on Taiwan;
       Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act sets forth the policy to 
     promote extensive commercial relations between the people of 
     the United States and the people on Taiwan, and that policy 
     is advanced by membership in the World Trade Organization;
       Whereas the human rights provisions in the Taiwan Relations 
     Act helped stimulate the democratization of Taiwan;
       Whereas Taiwan today is a full-fledged, multiparty 
     democracy that fully respects human rights and civil 
     liberties and, as such, serves as a successful model of 
     democratic reform for the People's Republic of China;
       Whereas it is the policy of the United States to promote 
     extensive cultural relations between the United States and 
     Taiwan, ties that should be further encouraged and expanded;
       Whereas any attempt to determine Taiwan's future by other 
     than peaceful means, including boycotts or embargoes, would 
     be considered as a threat to the peace and security of the 
     Western Pacific and of grave concern to the United States;
       Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act established the American 
     Institute in Taiwan to carry out the programs, transactions, 
     and other relations of the United States with respect to 
     Taiwan; and
       Whereas the American Institute in Taiwan has played a 
     successful role in sustaining and enhancing United States 
     relations with Taiwan: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
       (1) the United States should reaffirm its commitment to the 
     Taiwan Relations Act and the specific guarantees of provision 
     of legitimate defense articles to Taiwan contained therein;
       (2) the Congress has grave concerns over China's growing 
     arsenal of nuclear and conventionally armed ballistic 
     missiles, the movement of those missiles into a closer 
     geographic proximity to Taiwan, and the effect that the 
     buildup may have on stability in the Taiwan Strait;
       (3) the President should direct all appropriate officials 
     to raise with officials from the People's Republic of China 
     the grave concern of the United States over China's growing 
     arsenal of nuclear and conventionally armed ballistic 
     missiles, the movement of those missiles into a closer 
     geographic proximity to Taiwan, and the effect that the 
     buildup may have on stability in the Taiwan Strait;
       (4) the President should seek from the leaders of the 
     People's Republic of China a public renunciation of any use 
     of force, or threat to use force, against democratic Taiwan;
       (5) the President should provide annually a report 
     detailing the military balance on both sides of the Taiwan 
     Strait, including the impact of procurement and modernization 
     programs underway;
       (6) the Secretary of Defense should inform the appropriate 
     committees of Congress when officials from Taiwan seek to 
     purchase defense articles for self-defense;
       (7) the United States Government should encourage a high-
     level dialog with officials of Taiwan and of other United 
     States allies in East Asia, including Japan and South Korea, 
     on the best means to ensure stability, peace, and freedom of 
     the seas in East Asia;
       (8) it should be United States policy, in conformity with 
     the spirit of section 4(d) of

[[Page S2606]]

     the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3303(d)), to publicly 
     support Taiwan's admission to the World Trade Organization 
     forthwith, on its own merits as well as to encourage others 
     to adopt similar policies, without making such admission 
     conditional on the previous or simultaneous admission of the 
     People's Republic of China to the World Trade Organization.

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President. April 10, 1999 will mark the twentieth 
anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act (``TRA''). 
Today, I am submitting a concurrent resolution commemorating this 
important piece of legislation and the commitments that the United 
States made to the people of Taiwan. The resolution is cosponsored by 
Senator Lott, the majority leader, Senator Helms, the chairman of the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Thomas, the chairman of the 
East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 
Senator Torricelli, also on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 
Senator Rockefeller, Senator Burns, and Senator Kyl. A similar 
resolution is being introduced today in the House of Representatives by 
Representative Dana Rohrabacher.
  Mr. President. I was not here when Congress passed the TRA in 1979, 
but I have great respect for the wisdom that those who proceeded me 
played in passing this enduring piece of legislation. As former Senator 
Dole said in commenting on the changes the Congress made to the 
legislation proposed by the Carter Administration:

       [The changes in the bill] ``were meant only to recognize 
     the simple reality of U.S. concerns in the Asia-Pacific 
     region and our desire for peace for an old and faithful 
     ally.''--March 7, 1979.

  In talking to colleagues and former Administration officials who were 
here for the creation of the TRA, you get the sense that no one 
expected Taiwan to be around for very long. But Taiwan not only 
survived, she thrived. Taiwan turned into one of the Asian Tigers, and 
has managed to weather the Asian flu. She is a full-fledged multi-party 
democracy that respects human rights and civil liberties. She serves as 
a model of successful democratic reform.
  The positive changes in Taiwan are a tribute to the spirit and 
perseverance of her people, who have achieved an almost impossible 
dream in the view of many. The United States cannot take credit for 
Taiwan's achievements, but we can be proud of East Asia. So I think it 
is appropriate that we take up this resolution that commemorates the 
anniversary of this piece of legislation.
  Mr. President. The resolution praises the TRA for contributing to 
peace, security and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The resolution also 
praises the growth of democracy, human rights and civil liberties on 
Taiwan. And the resolution notes the successful role that the American 
Institute in Taiwan has played in sustaining and enhancing our 
relations with Taiwan.
  The resolution does express concern about several issues including 
the process for evaluating Taiwan's legitimate defense needs, the lack 
of high-level dialog between senior military officials on Taiwan and 
American defense officials regarding regional stability. The resolution 
also expresses Congress's grave concern over the possible threat to 
security in the Taiwan Strait from China's defense modernization and 
procurement as documented in the February 1, 1999, report to Congress 
by the Secretary of Defense on ``The Security Situation in the Taiwan 
Strait''.
  Mr. president. This resolution calls for the Congress to reaffirm our 
commitment to the TRA and to the specific guarantees to provide 
legitimate defense articles to Taiwan. The Resolution also expresses 
our grave concern over the threat to Taiwan from China's growing 
arsenal of nuclear and conventionally armed ballistic missiles, the 
movement to those missiles into a closer geographic proximity to 
Taiwan, and the effect that the buildup may have on stability in the 
Taiwan Strait.
  The resolution also encourages a high-level dialog with officials of 
Taiwan and our other East Asia allies concerning the best means to 
ensure peace and stability in East Asia.
  To provide the Congress with timely information to evaluate Taiwan's 
self-defense needs, this resolution asks the President to provide an 
annual report detailing the military balance on both sides of the 
Taiwan Strait.
  Finally, this resolution notes that it should be United States policy 
to publicly support Taiwan's admission to the World Trade Organization 
on its own merits as well as to encourage other countries to adopt 
similar policies, without making such admission conditional on the 
previous or simultaneous admission of the People's Republic of China to 
the World Trade Organization.
  Mr. President. I hope that the full Senate will have the opportunity 
to vote on this resolution in the near future.

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