[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 47 (Thursday, April 13, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H2329]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                AMERICA'S LOT SHOULD BE CAST WITH TAIWAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, not so many years ago, an inspiring U.S. 
President, John F. Kennedy, gave heart not only to our people but to 
those living under the sickle and boot of Communism in eastern and 
central Europe. In a moment that history will remember always, he stood 
in West Berlin, an island of democracy in a sea of totalitarianism. He 
championed for the world the cause of freedom with the proud boast, 
``Ich bin ein Berliner.'' I am a Berliner.
  Today, as this Congress stands on the verge of voting on permanent 
trade privileges to Communist China, it is incumbent upon us to remind 
ourselves of Taiwan, the only outpost for democracy in the Pacific Rim. 
Does mainland China, a Communist nation, whose human rights record is 
deteriorating, really deserve a blank check from this Congress of the 
United States? There is not one iota of indication that that 
totalitarian regime has any respect for liberty's cause.
  President Kennedy, on June 25, 1963, at the City Hall in West Berlin 
said, ``I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your 
distinguished Mayor, who has symbolized throughout the world the 
fighting spirit of West Berlin, and your distinguished Chancellor. Two 
thousand years ago, the proudest boast was `civis Romanus sum.' I am a 
Roman. Today the proudest boast is, `Ich bin ein Berliner.'
  ``There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or 
say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the 
Communist world? Let them come to Berlin.''
  And I might say today, for freedom lovers, they should say, let them 
come to Taiwan.
  ``There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future.'' 
He said, ``Let them come to Berlin.'' ``There are some who say in 
Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to 
Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it's true that communism 
is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Let 
them come to Berlin.
  ``Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we 
have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them 
from leaving us.'' He said, ``I know of no town, no city that has been 
besieged for 18 years that still lives with the vitality and the force 
and hope and the determination of the City of West Berlin.'' And I 
would say today that that is true of Taiwan.
  ``While the wall was the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the 
failures of the Communist system for all the world to see, we took no 
satisfaction in it. What is true of that city,'' he said, ``is true of 
Germany. Real and lasting peace in Europe can never be assured as long 
as one German out of four is denied the elementary right of free men, 
and that is to make a free choice.
  ``In 18 years of peace and good faith, this generation of Germans has 
earned the right to be free.'' He said, ``You live in a defended island 
of freedom, but your life is a part of the main. So let me ask you,'' 
he said, ``as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today to 
the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this City of 
Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom 
everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond 
yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.
  ``Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not 
free. When all are free, then we can look forward to the day when this 
city will be joined as one, and this country, and this great continent 
of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, 
as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in 
the fact that they were in the front line for almost two decades. All 
free men, wherever they may live,'' he said, ``are citizens of Berlin, 
and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words `Ich bin ein 
Berliner.' ''
  Today, as we embark upon a debate on China, America should aspire to 
no less an ideal than our forbearers who carried the torch of liberty 
with no fear of the cost. America's lot should be cast with Taiwan as 
the democratic hope of the Pacific Rim. All free men and women, 
wherever they may live, are citizens of Taiwan. And, therefore, as a 
free citizen, I take pride in opposing any special trade privileges for 
Communist China. There is no other choice for freedom lovers.

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