[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 49 (Monday, April 12, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3604-S3605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT

  Mr. VOINOVICH. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of Senate Concurrent 
Resolution 17, which was reported by the Foreign Relations Committee.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 17) concerning the 
     20th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. I ask unanimous consent that the committee amendment 
be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the amendment 
to the preamble be agreed to, and the preamble, as amended, be agreed 
to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any 
statements relating to this resolution appear in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee amendment was agreed to.
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Con. Res. 17), as amended, was agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as 
follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 172

       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 
     Republic of China on 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 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 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 Taiwan routinely makes informal requests for 
     defense articles and defense services 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 limit 
     most high-level dialog regarding regional stability with 
     Taiwan senior military officials;
       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 Taiwan completed its bilateral market access 
     negotiations with the United States on February 20, 1998, and 
     all countries which asked to negotiate bilateral agreements 
     with Taiwan have concluded those agreements, although Canada 
     has reopened negotiations on certain products;
       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 adjacent to Taiwan, and the effect that the buildup 
     may have on stability in the Taiwan Strait, and United States 
     government officials should continue to raise these concerns 
     with officials of the People's Republic of China;
       (3) 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;
       (4) 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;
       (5) the Secretary of Defense should make available to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress the annual military 
     requirements list submitted by Taiwan;

[[Page S3605]]

       (6) it should be United States policy to encourage the 
     participation of Taiwan in a high-level regional dialog on 
     the best means of ensuring stability, peace, and freedom of 
     the seas in East Asia; and
       (7) it should be United States policy, in conformity with 
     the spirit of section 4(d) of 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, 
     and consistent with the bilateral market access agreement 
     with the United States.

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