[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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