[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 121 (Friday, September 5, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CALLING FOR TAIWANESE REPRESENTATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETER DEUTSCH

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 4, 2003

  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for representation for 
Taiwan at the United Nations. During the October, 1971 debate on 
admitting the People's Republic of China to the United Nations, George 
H.W. Bush, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, worked 
hard to implement the United States' official policy: dual 
representation which would allow both Beijing and Taipei to be 
represented in that body. The father of today's president suggested 
that China take the seat in the UN Security Council and that Taiwan 
take a seat in the General Assembly.
  But George H.W. Bush's efforts at the time were undercut both by 
Henry Kissinger and Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek. Kissinger did 
not support dual representation for China and Taiwan. He happened to be 
on his second visit to Beijing preparing for President Nixon's trip 
while the debate was underway. Ambassador Bush noted later that the 
Kissinger trip swayed some votes against the American position.
  Chiang Kai-shek, then President of the Republic of China, himself did 
not support dual representation, clinging to the absurd position that 
he and his Kuomintang government were the sole legal government of all 
the Chinese people. The UN vote to seat the People's Republic of China 
righted the obvious injustice that had meant 1 billion people were not 
represented in the UN.
  But the vote also created a major injustice, leaving the people of 
Taiwan unrepresented.
  Chiang and his obdurate KMT position are now history. Taiwan's 
government no longer makes this ridiculous claim. Moreover, Taiwan has 
moved from the autocratic days of Chiang's martial law to full-fledged 
democracy.
  I call upon President George W. Bush to implement the same policy his 
father fought for--dual representation for both Beijing and Taipei in 
the UN, participation by Taiwan in all international fora, and full 
diplomatic recognition of Taiwan by the United States.
  The brave citizens of Taiwan deserve nothing less and the global 
community striving to defeat terrorism will be strengthened by Taiwan's 
recognition and participation.

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