[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1639-E1640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          101ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN)

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROBERT A. BRADY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2012

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, October 10th heralds one 
century and one year of the Republic of China (ROC).
  History--and, particularly Chinese history--is filled with many tales 
of heartbreak, despotism, suffering and despair. But more than a 
century ago, one man, Dr. Sun Yat-sen had a different vision for a new 
China. Having spent his formative adolescent years in the U.S. state of 
Hawaii, Dr. Sun returned to China inspired by the uniquely American 
ideals of U.S. Presidents Alexander Hamilton and Abraham Lincoln. When 
given the chance, Dr. Sun would tell anybody who would listen that the 
crux of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, ``government of the 
people, by the people, for the people'', had shaped his own political 
philosophy, the Three Principles of the People.
  While implementation of Sun's three principles was often flawed and 
undermined while the ROC was on mainland China, they eventually took 
shape--long after his death following the ROC's move to Taiwan in 1949. 
In 1987, Taiwan lifted its Martial Law Emergency Decree. In 1991, free 
elections were held for the island's Legislative Yuan. And in 1996, 
amidst the attempted intimidation of mainland Chinese missiles being 
lobbed into the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan staged its first free 
presidential election. Taiwan has since had three more four 
presidential elections--most recently, this past January with power 
changing hands once in each direction.
  Voter participation in Taiwan is among the highest in the world, and 
its people value and embrace its democracy. With so many government 
ministers having lived and studied in the United States, the ROC-U.S. 
connection and shared democratic ideals forged under Dr. Sun are alive 
and well in Taiwan.
  I urge all my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Republic of 
China on its 101 years of principled existence, and on its living 
example of true democracy.

[[Page E1640]]



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