[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 2, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CELEBRATING TAIWAN'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STRAIT EXCHANGE FOUNDATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 2011

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, in the last two and a half years, through 
Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and Mainland China's 
Association for Relations Across the Trait Strait (ARATS), Taiwan and 
Mainland China have held several rounds of talks and concluded many 
economic and trade agreements, most important of which was the Economic 
Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) inked last June 29 in Chongqing 
China.
  ECFA boosts Taiwan's economy and creates tens of thousands of job 
opportunities. Further, the agreement will help Taiwan's economy to 
benefit from regional integration and develop new international markets 
while attracting foreign direct investments in Taiwan. In addition to 
the economic benefits for both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, the 
signing of this agreement has significantly eased tensions across the 
Taiwan Strait. The two sides are now linked by more than 300 direct 
flights per week. Mainland China is Taiwan's largest trading partner 
with cross-strait trade totaling close to $110 billion in 2009, 
according to Taiwan statistics.
  Clearly, the Straits Exchange Foundation is to be congratulated on 
its 20th anniversary for its good work. SEF has brought prosperity and 
peace to the Taiwan Strait. As we celebrate the successes of the SEF, 
we know much lies ahead for the SEF and the ARATS. For instance, the 
people in Taiwan and the international community continue to have 
strong concerns about China's military expansion and deployments.
  So far, China has yet to renounce the use of force regarding Taiwan 
and China's military build-up across the Taiwan Strait continues 
unabated with more than 1,100 missiles pointed in Taiwan's direction. 
Although tensions have abated and there seems to be no danger of China 
using force against Taiwan, China's military deployments worry 
policymakers in both Taipei and Washington.
  While the United States is happy to see rapprochement between the two 
sides, it is my opinion that to ensure Taiwan's future, we must help 
Taiwan develop the confidence to resist any outside aggression. We 
should and must continue to stand by our commitment to provide Taiwan 
with defense articles and defense services. Our recent decision to 
notify Congress of the approval of arms sales to Taiwan worth $6.4 
billion is an indication of our commitment to meet the obligations 
spelled out in the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). This has been a U.S. 
policy followed by successive Administrations for more than 30 years.
  Again, I congratulate the leaders of Taiwan's SEF, Taiwan's Mainland 
Affairs Council (MAC) and ROC President Ma Ying-jeou for their vision 
and hard work in improving cross-strait relations. Together they have 
restored U.S. trust and reversed the deterioration in cross-strait 
relations that took place prior to May 2008.

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