[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H59-H62]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO REGAIN 
      OBSERVER STATUS FOR TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 3320) to direct the Secretary of State to develop a 
strategy to regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health 
Organization, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3320

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH 
                   ORGANIZATION.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized 
     agency of the United Nations, charged with coordinating 
     health efforts within the United Nations system. The World 
     Health Assembly (WHA) is the decision-making body of the WHO, 
     which convenes annually in May to set the policies and 
     priorities of the organization. Statehood is not a 
     requirement for attendance at the WHA, and numerous 
     observers, including non-members and non-governmental 
     organizations, attended the most recent WHA in May 2017.
       (2) Taiwan began seeking to participate in the WHO as an 
     observer in 1997. In 2009, with strong support from 
     successive United States Administrations, Congress, and like-
     minded WHO Member States, and during a period of improved 
     Cross-Strait relations, Taiwan received an invitation to 
     attend the WHA as an observer under the name ``Chinese 
     Taipei''. Taiwan received the same invitation each year until 
     2016, when following the election of President Tsai-Ing Wen 
     of the Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan's engagement in 
     the international community began facing increased resistance 
     from the People's Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan's 
     invitation to the 2016 WHA was received late and included new 
     language conditioning Taiwan's participation on the PRC's 
     ``one China principle''. In 2017, Taiwan did not receive an 
     invitation to the WHA.
       (3) Taiwan remains a model contributor to world health, 
     having provided financial and technical assistance to respond 
     to numerous global health challenges. Taiwan has invested 
     over $6 billion in international medical and humanitarian aid 
     efforts impacting over 80 countries since 1996. In 2014, 
     Taiwan responded to the Ebola crisis by donating $1 million 
     and providing 100,000 sets of personal protective equipment. 
     Through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, the 
     United States and Taiwan have jointly conducted training 
     programs for experts to combat MERS, Dengue Fever, and Zika. 
     These diseases know no borders, and Taiwan's needless 
     exclusion from global health cooperation increases the 
     dangers presented by global pandemics.
       (4) Taiwan's international engagement has faced increased 
     resistance from the PRC. Taiwan was not invited to the 2016 
     Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization 
     (ICAO), despite participating as a guest at the 
     organization's prior summit in 2013. Taiwan's request to 
     participate in the 2016 General Assembly of the International 
     Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) was also rejected. In 
     May 2017, PRC delegates disrupted a meeting of the Kimberley 
     Process on conflict diamonds held in Perth, Australia, until 
     delegates from Taiwan were asked to leave. In June 2017, the 
     Republic of Panama granted diplomatic recognition to the PRC, 
     terminating a longstanding diplomatic relationship with 
     Taiwan.
       (5) Congress has established a policy of support for 
     Taiwan's participation in international bodies that address 
     shared transnational challenges, particularly in the WHO. 
     Congress passed H.R. 1794 in the 106th Congress, H.R. 428 in 
     the 107th Congress, and S. 2092 in the 108th Congress to 
     direct the Secretary of State to establish a strategy for, 
     and to report annually to Congress on, efforts to obtain 
     observer status for Taiwan at the WHA. Congress also passed 
     H.R. 1151 in the 113th Congress, directing the Secretary to 
     report on a strategy to gain observer status for Taiwan at 
     the ICAO Assembly, and H.R. 1853 in the 114th Congress, 
     directing the Secretary to report on a strategy to gain 
     observer status for Taiwan at the INTERPOL Assembly. However, 
     in 2016 Taiwan did not receive invitations to attend any of 
     these events as an observer.
       (b) Augmentation of Report Concerning the Participation of 
     Taiwan in the World Health Organization.--
       (1) In general.--Subsection (c) of section 1 of Public Law 
     108-235 (118 Stat. 656) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new paragraph:

[[Page H60]]

       ``(3) An account of the changes and improvements the 
     Secretary of State has made to the United States plan to 
     endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the World 
     Health Assembly, following any annual meetings of the World 
     Health Assembly at which Taiwan did not obtain observer 
     status.''.
       (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
     shall take effect and apply beginning with the first report 
     required under subsection (c) of section 1 of Public Law 108-
     235 that is submitted after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho), the author of this 
important bill which counters the harmful and unacceptable efforts 
being made to undermine Taiwan's inclusion at the World Health 
Organization.
  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman, Mr. Royce, for offering 
this bill, or the opportunity to offer this bill. I would also like to 
say I, too, support H.R. 535, the Taiwan Travel Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3320, a bill that directs the 
Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain observer status for 
Taiwan in the World Health Organization. I would like to give 
particular thanks to Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and Ranking 
Member Sherman for supporting this bill and working with me to advance 
it through the committee process.
  Mr. Speaker, over the last few years, the People's Republic of China 
has stepped up its campaign to marginalize Taiwan. Last year, Beijing 
poached one of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic partners, the Republic 
of Panama. Beijing also successfully blocked Taiwan from participating 
in a number of international organizations, including the World Health 
Organization.
  Taiwan's exclusion from the World Health Organization's annual 
summit, the World Health Assembly, serves no purpose other than to 
placate Beijing. The WHO exists to address shared transnational health 
challenges, and Taiwan has proven, time and time again, that it is a 
model contributor to world health.
  Since 1996, Taiwan has invested over $6 billion in international 
medical and humanitarian aid efforts impacting over 80 countries. It 
has made significant financial contributions to The Global Fund to 
Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. And as this bill finds, in 2014, 
Taiwan responded to the Ebola crisis by donating $1 million and 
providing over 100,000 sets of personal protective equipment.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 3320. Clearly, Taiwan should be a full 
member of the World Health Organization. All nations should be full 
members of the World Health Organization, especially one with an 
advanced health system that can help us stop pandemics from spreading 
from one country to another. That is why it makes sense for us to 
advocate Taiwanese participation in all international bodies, but 
particularly the U.N.'s World Health Organization.
  I am pleased to cosponsor this legislation that is critical to 
preparing to prevent pandemics. Look at the nonsense that is being 
foisted on the world by Beijing. For political reasons, in an effort to 
say that Taiwan doesn't exist except as a province, they are 
endangering the health of the world because pathogens have not been 
told that they are not to go to Taiwan. The epidemics have not been 
told to spare humankind from the inefficiencies and glaring omissions 
that occur when an important country is excluded from the World Health 
Organization.
  Taiwan's exclusion, even from observer status, from the World Health 
Organization is a terrible symbol, an attempt to deny self-
determination to 23 million people. But it is worse than a terrible 
symbol. It is a practical impediment to stopping epidemics. It is a 
practical impediment to world health, and it is time for the United 
States to have a strategy to reach out to the world and say Taiwan 
needs to be part of health planning. Taiwan needs to be part of the 
lifesaving initiatives of the World Health Organization.
  So I look forward to working with our colleagues to pass this 
legislation and working with the State Department to implement it. I 
look forward to the day when we do not put the world at risk of an 
epidemic that could have been contained but for the malicious symbolism 
being foisted on us by Beijing.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho), our chairman of the 
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman again for yielding more 
time. I also recognize Congressmen Chabot and Connolly for being 
cosponsors of this bill.
  While Taiwan's contributions to global health deserves praise, its 
isolation from international organizations and exclusion from the WHO 
has proven dangerous, if not hazardous. During the 2002-2003 outbreak 
of SARS, official WHO notifications and technical assistance were 
either blocked or delayed, all while patients in Taiwan died and the 
virus continued to spread. These diseases know no boundaries and, with 
extensive transit and trade links, Taiwan's participation at the WHO is 
essential.
  Congress has long supported Taiwan's participation in international 
organizations that do not require statehood, and this legislation will 
continue this important work. My bill will ensure that the U.S. 
diplomatic strategy to advocate for Taiwan's presence at the WHA, the 
World Health Assembly, adapts to Beijing's increased efforts to box out 
Taiwan.
  Mr. Speaker, Taiwan is a benevolent actor on the international stage. 
It deserves to keep that place it has earned. The next World Health 
Assembly meeting will take place in May of this year. Passage of my 
bill will be a timely opportunity for the House to recommit to 
longstanding U.S. policies and to take a firm stand in the face of 
Beijing's increasingly oppressive tactics.
  I urge my colleagues to support Taiwan's participation in the WHO as 
an observer by supporting this legislation. Again, I thank Chairman 
Royce for the opportunity.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it was 20 years ago that we here in Congress spoke with 
one voice. We passed a law to support Taiwan's inclusion in the World 
Health Organization. It took a decade of advocacy; it took pressure 
before Taiwan was finally invited to participate in that assembly for 
the first time in 2009. So you can imagine it is with great 
disappointment that we learned that Taiwan was excluded from the 
meetings last year for the first time after 8 years of consecutive 
participation in Geneva.
  Mr. Speaker, Taiwan's participation at the World Health Organization 
is a matter of public health, as our friend, Mr. Sherman, and as the 
chairman of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, Mr. Yoho, have both 
reminded us. This is a matter of public health.
  Taiwan has contributed greatly, so greatly to the international 
efforts to prevent epidemics. It has provided critical humanitarian aid 
and medical training around the world; financial assistance, investing 
$6 billion in international medical and humanitarian aid efforts since 
1996, all over this globe, 80 countries.
  During the 2014 Ebola crisis, it was Taiwan that was there, providing 
also 100,000 sets of protective gear for health workers. Through the 
global cooperation and training framework, the U.S. and Taiwan have 
jointly conducted training programs for experts to combat diseases from 
Dengue fever to Zika.
  Mr. Speaker, yes, as Mr. Yoho reminded us, and Mr. Sherman, we know

[[Page H61]]

from this experience that infectious diseases know no borders. They so 
quickly spread, and the global health community does not benefit when 
Taiwan is kept in the dark on these critical matters. We are all safer 
when Taiwan has meaningful, unobstructed participation in international 
health cooperation forums.
  All of us recall that Taiwan had an awful experience during the SARS 
epidemic that was 15 years ago when the World Health Organization 
directed Taiwan officials not to approach them, but to approach Beijing 
for information-sharing instead.
  It is clear that Taiwan's exclusion from last year's World Health 
Assembly will only hurt. The health and safety of the people of Taiwan 
should not be needlessly held hostage by politics, and world health 
should not be put at risk. Taiwanese doctors have so much to offer, 
given their experience providing this humanitarian assistance around 
this world.
  Last fall, I met with the Director-General of the World Health 
Organization.

                              {time}  1545

  I pressed him for Taiwan's participation. Unfortunately, this meeting 
did not relieve my concerns about Taiwan's future outlook. And it is 
for this reason, Mr. Speaker, that it is all the more important that 
the U.S. use all of its diplomatic leverage to support Taiwan's efforts 
to regain observer status to the WHO.
  I applaud the administration for sending our Health Secretary to meet 
with the delegation Taiwan sent to Geneva for bilateral meetings on the 
sidelines of the assembly meeting last year, and I think, by doing so, 
the U.S. demonstrated leadership by putting international cooperation 
ahead of politics. Passage of this bill demonstrates our support for 
Taiwan's inclusion.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this 
measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), chairman emeritus of the 
Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank our esteemed chairman for this 
time, and I want to thank my Florida colleague, Ted Yoho, the chairman 
of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, for offering this 
important bill as well as for his constant friendship and assistance to 
our strong and indispensable ally, Taiwan.
  His bill, H.R. 3320, directing the Secretary of State to develop a 
strategy for increasing Taiwan's participation at the World Health 
Organization, is an important first step, an important piece of our 
foreign policy toward our ally, Taiwan.
  Congress has, for years, been pushing for Taiwan to have greater 
access, to have equal representation at so many institutions. 
Unfortunately, as with so many other international organizations, 
Taiwan's lack of observer status at the World Health Organization, or 
WHO, is caused by an orchestrated and dangerous campaign by China to 
constrain Taiwan's participation in global affairs.
  In the case of the WHO, China is depriving the international 
community from access to a wealth of Taiwan's high-level healthcare 
information. Due to its superb talent, due to its data collection, due 
to its quarantine and treatment facilities, Taiwan has excellent 
infectious disease control capabilities. Fourteen years ago, Taiwan's 
cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control was crucial in 
stemming the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome, known as 
SARS.
  Before the last World Health assembly in May, I wrote a letter to the 
Department of Health and Human Services urging greater efforts to 
ensure that Taiwan received an invitation to the summit. The Secretary 
agreed with me, writing that Taiwan is an indispensable member of the 
global health society and is a ``strong health partner that 
demonstrated the value of its expertise and contributions to health 
issues of global concern.''
  Unsurprisingly, however, Mr. Speaker, China once again put its 
dangerous and shortsighted policies first, using its influence with 
World Health Organization member states to deny Taiwan an invitation to 
the assembly.
  We cannot continue allowing China to threaten global efforts to 
mitigate infectious disease, and, more importantly, Mr. Speaker, we 
cannot continue to allow China to bully Taiwan or to have a veto over 
our own foreign policy decisions. It is time to develop new ideas and 
new strategies so that we can put a stop to China's bullying and ensure 
that Taiwan gains observer status at the WHO and everywhere else.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this important measure, 
and, as always, I thank our esteemed chairman for the time.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  This legislation has support from just about everyone, bipartisan. It 
is obviously necessary for Taiwan to be part of the World Health 
Organization. To exclude it is to put the health of anyone who might be 
affected by a pandemic, to put that interest below Beijing's interest 
in strangling Taiwan diplomatically and economically.
  I urge the adoption of this legislation, and I look forward to 
working with the State Department until we achieve our objective, which 
is, at a minimum, Taiwan's return to observer status at the World 
Health Organization.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  In closing, I would like to share with the body that I led a 
delegation to Taipei this last summer, and I was there when Taiwan 
pledged to donate $800,000 in disaster relief to Houston. That was in 
the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. It is generous actions like this 
that I can think of, 80 occasions, that remind us again and again that 
Taiwan is a positive actor in the international community, and that is 
why we must continue to support Taiwan's international standing and 
well-being.
  So I would like to say in closing that I thank my colleagues for 
being original cosponsors on this bill. In addition to Mr. Yoho and 
myself, I want to thank Mr. Engel. And I want to thank Mr. Sherman. I 
want to thank the gentleman for his leadership on this issue, and Mr. 
Connolly as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of two 
critical pieces of legislation, H.R. 535 and H.R. 3320. These bills are 
important to U.S. national security because the spread of pandemics do 
not respect borders. These bills are also important because they will 
enhance the position of Taiwan, a true and vibrant democracy, with 
which we have had longstanding ties.
  I commend my good friend and colleague, Mr. Steve Chabot, for 
introducing the Taiwan Travel Act. Currently, the President of Taiwan, 
Vice President, Premier, Defense Minister and Foreign Minister of 
Taiwan are not allowed to come to Washington, D.C. for consultations. 
These are U.S. self-imposed restrictions that are practiced due to fear 
of potential Chinese diplomatic retaliation. Restricting high-level 
visits by senior Taiwanese officials is both insulting and 
counterproductive. This policy should be changed.
  Mr. Speaker, China will never be happy with U.S.-Taiwan policy or the 
Taiwan Relations Act. Communist China will never be placated by our 
self-imposed restrictions on travel and consultations. We should not 
try.
  Mr. Speaker, I also stand today in support of H.R. 3320, introduced 
by my good friend and chairman of the subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific, Mr. Ted Yoho.
  H.R. 3320 would designate that the Secretary of State devise a plan 
to include Taiwan in the World Health Organization. Taiwan has been 
excluded from participating in the WHO due to Chinese pressure, and 
sadly, the international community has acquiesced.
  We here in Congress have been advocating for many years that the U.S. 
should take action to ensure Taiwan's meaningful participation in the 
WHO. As a major transport and shipping hub in the Asia Pacific region, 
with enormous volumes of people and goods passing through on a daily 
basis, Taiwan's exclusion creates a dangerous gap in the global health 
and safety information network.
  Mr. Speaker, the full participation of Taiwan in the WHO and other 
multilateral bodies cannot be overstated as a U.S. national security 
interest.
  China's efforts to exclude Taiwan from international bodies like WHO 
creates needless blind spots in the international system where 
terrorism and disease can spread undetected.
  Mr. Speaker, Taiwan must join the WHO as a full member. Regaining 
observer status is

[[Page H62]]

only a first step. Full WHO membership for Taiwan is not only in the 
interest of Taiwan, it is in the interest of the rest of the world.
  I urge my colleagues to pass these critical measures to strengthen 
the bond between the U.S. and our democratic ally, Taiwan.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3320.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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