[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 52 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     COMMEMORATING THE 33RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2012

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of 
the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act.
  Since the end of World War II, the United States and Taiwan have 
fostered a close relationship that has been of enormous strategic and 
economic benefit to both countries. When the United States shifted 
diplomatic relations from Taiwan to the People's Republic of China in 
January 1979, Congress moved quickly to pass the Taiwan Relations Act 
(TRA) to ensure that the United States would continue its robust 
engagement with Taiwan in the areas of commerce, culture, and security 
cooperation. With President Carter's signature on April 10, 1979, this 
important and lasting piece of legislation became the Law of the Land 
and served as the statutory basis for U.S.-Taiwan relations going 
forward.
  After 33 years, the TRA still stands as a model of congressional 
leadership in the history of our foreign relations and remains the 
cornerstone of a very mutually beneficial relationship between the 
United States and Taiwan. Through three decades marked by momentous 
social, economic, and political transformations, Taiwan has remained a 
trusted ally of the United States that now shares with us the ideals of 
freedom and democracy. The foresight of the TRA's drafters in providing 
that ``the United States will make available to Taiwan such defense 
articles and defense services . . . to enable Taiwan to maintain a 
sufficient self-defense capability,'' and affirming ``the preservation 
and enhancement of the human rights of all the people on Taiwan'' as 
explicit objectives of the United States, has contributed in large 
measure to make Taiwan what it is today--a vibrant, open society 
governed by democratic institutions.
  Though the people of Taiwan now enjoy fundamental human rights and 
civil liberties, they continue to live day after day under the ominous 
shadow cast by over 1400 short and medium-range ballistic missiles that 
the People's Republic of China (PRC) has aimed at them. The PRC 
persists in claiming Taiwan as a ``renegade province,'' refusing to 
renounce the use of force to prevent formal de jure independence, even 
codifying its right to military action via passage of the so-called 
``Anti-Secession Law'' on March 14, 2005. The United States Congress 
strongly condemned the ``Anti-Secession Law'' in House Concurrent 
Resolution 98, passed on March 16, 2005.
  The TRA affirmed that the United States' decision to establish 
diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China was based on 
the expectation that the future of Taiwan would be determined by 
peaceful means. Furthermore, it stipulates that it is the policy of the 
United States ``to consider any effort to determine the future of 
Taiwan by other than peaceful means . . . a threat to the peace and 
security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United 
States.'' The unambiguous and principled stance contained in these 
provisions has been instrumental to the maintenance of peace and 
stability across the Taiwan Strait for more than thirty years.
  I therefore invite my colleagues to join me in commemorating the 33rd 
anniversary of the TRA, to further underline our unwavering commitment 
to the TRA and our support for the strong and deepening relationship 
between the U.S. and Taiwan.

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