[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CHINA'S ANTI-SECESSION LAW

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 16, 2005

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, late last year, the Standing Committee of 
the Chinese National People's Congress took a very destabilizing action 
when it voted to submit an ``Anti-Secession Law'' to the full Congress, 
which convened on March 5. That Anti-Secession Law was subsequently 
adopted by the full Congress and is now Chinese law.
  There can be absolutely no doubt about the intent of this law, which 
is to create the legal justification for a military attack against 
Taiwan.
  The law spells out a range of activities which, if taken by the 
Taiwanese people and their democratically elected leaders, would 
legally constitute secession to the Chinese. Many of these activities, 
such as Constitutional reform and popular referenda, are the mainstay 
of any democracy. Yet the Chinese would use them as an excuse for a 
military attack on the 21 million people on Taiwan.
  The United States fully understands Taiwan is in a very difficult 
bind. It is a flourishing democracy, one of the most vibrant in Asia, 
with freedoms of speech, the press and assembly and intensely 
competitive free political parties. Yet it is claimed as a sovereign 
territory by the People's Republic of China, which is not a democracy 
and has no freedom of the press, speech or assembly. And this neighbor 
now threatens to annex Taiwan by force.
  Under the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act, which is the legal 
bedrock of our policy, the United States insists that the future of 
Taiwan must be determined by peaceful means. And we have stated that no 
actions should be taken by either Taiwan or the People's Republic of 
China, that endanger the peace and stability that now exists across the 
Taiwan Strait.
  Mr. Speaker, during the past year, the Bush Administration cautioned 
Taiwan about actions which might appear to challenge this status quo. 
Now the PRC, through this provocative legislation, is challenging the 
status quo in a very big way. The State Department said this 
legislation is highly unhelpful. I strongly agree with this position 
and register my strong opposition to the enactment of the Anti-
Secession Law.

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