[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 151 (Tuesday, October 11, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1814]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN)

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JUDY CHU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 11, 2011

  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, October 10th marked the 100 year 
anniversary of the Republic of China (ROC).
  And how the ROC has grown over the years since the 1911 Revolution! 
The state played a vital role as a founding member of the United 
Nations and contributed to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights, infusing into it the spirit of Confucianism. And it 
drafted the most progressive and democratic constitution in Asia. And 
finally, the state found solid footing on the island of Taiwan in 1949. 
It has successfully transitioned into a liberal democracy and become 
the first democratic state in an ethnic Chinese society in history.
  Today, the ROC is a model of political and economic progress for 
developing nations around the world. It is a modern and industrialized 
nation, an early adapter and proponent of a global and interconnected 
marketplace. Taiwan, Asia's first Economic Tiger, embraced market 
reforms in the 1950s and quickly launched some of the best known, and 
most efficient, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that came to 
serve many U.S. multinationals. Today's Taiwan is a technology 
powerhouse and the island's firmly entrenched in the top tier of 
developed world markets.
  And while many other markets turn inwards when economic times are 
tough, Taiwan's almost always kept its trade and investment doors open. 
A founding member of the Asia Development Bank in 1966, the ROC on 
Taiwan joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. It further 
acceded to the WTO's Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) in 2009.
  And since 2008, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou has removed many of the 
longstanding trade and investment barriers to mainland China, resulting 
in Taiwan now best positioned serving as a global gateway to the 
Greater China market. This new outlook culminated in last year's 
signing of the Economic and Cooperation Framework Agreement between 
Taiwan and mainland China. Foreign firms can now access mainland 
China's vast economic potential from the comfort and safety of a Taiwan 
market that's among the friendliest in the world to U.S. companies and 
one that also values and protects their intellectual property.
  As we celebrate this hundred years of history, let us recall that the 
ROC of today has come about thanks to generations of people who have 
fought for social reform and a democratic future.
  And as the Republic of China embarks on a new century, I hope it will 
be a model democratic nation for the world and continue to grow and 
prosper. I therefore urge all my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating the Republic of China on its 100 years of existence, 
Taiwan's many economic achievements since 1949, and to further support 
enhanced economic relations between the United States and Taiwan.

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