[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 141 (Wednesday, October 8, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TAIWAN'S REPUBLIC DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PHILIP M. CRANE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 8, 2003

  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, Taiwan will be celebrating its Republic Day 
this October 10. On behalf of my constituents, I wish to express my 
congratulations to the people of Taiwan on this happy occasion.
  Since 1949 when members of the anticommunist Kuomintang Party 
established its government, Taiwan has grown and flourished. Today it 
is a thriving multiparty democracy with an equally robust free market 
economy.
  In 1952 less than 60 percent of its people over the age of 15 could 
read and write. Today Taiwan has a literacy rate of 94 percent.
  Politically, Taiwan has continued its democratization process and its 
people enjoy the fruits of living in a free and open society. Taiwan 
has 12 officially recognized religions, including Buddhism, Daoism 
(Taoism), Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam. In 2000, Taiwan 
underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to 
the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the island 
prospered and became one of East Asia's economic ``Tigers.''
  This is because Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy that is 
continually being deregulated as formerly government-owned enterprises 
are being privatized.
  Taiwan is a major trading partner of the United States. In 2002, 
total Taiwan-U.S. trade in goods amounted to over $50 billion. This 
past year my home state of Illinois exported more than $289 million of 
goods to Taiwan.
  I hope that friendly relations between America and our ally Taiwan 
remain strong and continue to grow closer and wish the citizens of 
Taiwan well on their national holiday.

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