[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMENDING THE ADMINISTRATION'S POSITION ON THE ISSUE OF TAIWAN

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                           HON. PHIL ENGLISH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 25, 2003

  Mr. ENGLISH. Mr. Speaker, Secretary of State Powell was in Beijing 
recently, asking for Beijing's assistance on the issues of North Korea 
and Iraq. Beijing responded by asking the Bush Administration to 
consider ``trade-offs,'' especially more American flexibility on the 
issue of Taiwan. I want to commend Secretary Powell and the Bush 
Administration for refusing to participate in this sort of 
irresponsible horse-trading.
  We continue to support peaceful solution to any political 
disagreements between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan. At the 
same time, Congress has repeatedly voiced its commitment to defend the 
people of Taiwan from aggression, and we have backed this commitment 
with economic, political and military cooperation. I believe that this 
Administration has done an exemplary job of reinforcing this commitment 
by refusing to compromise Taiwan's security in the face of Beijing's 
attempts at coercion.
  Meanwhile, Beijing has turned a deaf ear to Taiwan President Chen 
Shui-Bian's calls for renewed dialogue between the two. This lack of 
communication will certainly result in misunderstanding, and could lead 
to dangerous miscalculations by both sides. These sorts of 
miscalculations can in turn lead to the sort of military confrontation 
that we all wish to avoid. I therefore strongly urge Beijing's new 
leadership to remove Chinese missiles from the area along the Taiwan 
Strait and to embrace a peaceful approach to managing the cross-strait 
relationship.
  It is time for bilateral dialogue on economic cooperation, democratic 
governance, improved human rights and peaceful resolution of all issues 
between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China.

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