[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E242-E243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ENCOURAGING CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND TAIWAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2005

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, one of the most important Pacific Rim 
relationships is the one between China and Taiwan. I want to commend 
both nations for their work to find common ground.
  I am so pleased that cross-strait relations have been improving in 
recent days. On January 15 of this year China and Taiwan agreed to 
direct flights during the Lunar New Year holidays and both sides agreed 
to continue to work toward restoring direct trade, transport and postal 
ties--the ``three links''. Moreover, the economies of China and Taiwan 
have grown increasingly interdependent as Taiwanese businesses have 
invested as much as $100 billion in China and as many as one million 
Taiwanese now live and work on the mainland.
  For the last several decades, U.S. policy has been to encourage 
amicable relations between Taiwan and China so that they may work out 
whatever differences they may have through peaceful means. We in the 
international community should make sure the peace and prosperity of 
the 23 million people in Taiwan is maintained.

[[Page E243]]



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