[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S1227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 510--COMMENDING THE PEOPLE OF TAIWAN ON HOLDING FREE 
    AND FAIR DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL AND LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS, AND 
CONGRATULATING MADAME TSAI ING-WEN ON HER RE-ELECTION TO THE PRESIDENCY 
                               OF TAIWAN

  Mr. GARDNER (for himself, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Risch) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 510

       Whereas the people of the United States and Taiwan enjoy 
     extensive, close, and friendly commercial, cultural, and 
     other relations founded in shared strategic interests and 
     cemented by a commitment to democratic values;
       Whereas Taiwan is a free, democratic, and prosperous nation 
     of more than 23,000,000 people and an important contributor 
     to peace and stability around the world, and its 
     transformation into a robust democracy and a strong free 
     market economy with a vibrant civil society offers a model 
     for others in the Indo-Pacific;
       Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8; 22 
     U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), signed into law on April 10, 1979, 
     codified the basis for continued commercial, cultural, 
     security, and other relations between the people of the 
     United States and the people of Taiwan, serves as the 
     foundation to preserve and promote continued bilateral bonds, 
     and states that it is the policy of the United States--
       (1) to preserve and promote extensive, close, and friendly 
     commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people 
     of the United States and the people on Taiwan, as well as the 
     people on the China mainland and all other peoples of the 
     Western Pacific area;
       (2) to declare that peace and stability in the area are in 
     the political, security, and economic interests of the United 
     States, and are matters of international concern;
       (3) to make clear that the United States decision to 
     establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of 
     China rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan 
     will be determined by peaceful means;
       (4) to consider any effort to determine the future of 
     Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or 
     embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the Western 
     Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States;
       (5) to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character; 
     and
       (6) to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist 
     any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would 
     jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of 
     the people on Taiwan;
       Whereas the United States and Taiwan have built a strong 
     economic partnership in which--
       (1) the United States is Taiwan's second largest trading 
     partner; and
       (2) Taiwan is the 10th largest trading partner of the 
     United States and a key destination for United States 
     agricultural exports;
       Whereas the people of the United States and the people of 
     Taiwan share deep cultural and personal ties, as exemplified 
     by the large flow of visitors and exchanges each year and the 
     over 23,000 Taiwanese students who study in the United 
     States;
       Whereas the American Institute in Taiwan and the Taipei 
     Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United 
     States signed a memorandum of understanding in June 2015 
     establishing the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, 
     under which Taiwan, the United States, and Japan jointly 
     sponsor training programs to share Taiwan's expertise with 
     partners around the world, including in the areas of public 
     health, law enforcement, disaster relief, energy cooperation, 
     women's empowerment, digital economy and cybersecurity, media 
     literacy, and good governance;
       Whereas, in 2019, the United States and Taiwan also 
     launched Indo-Pacific Democratic Governance Consultations, to 
     help Indo-Pacific countries address governance challenges, 
     and a new Pacific Islands Dialogue, to help meet the 
     development needs of Taiwan's diplomatic partners in the 
     Pacific;
       Whereas Taiwan has the expertise, willingness, and 
     capability to engage further in international efforts to 
     mitigate global challenges related to such issues as public 
     health, aviation safety, crime, and terrorism, but its 
     participation in such efforts has been constrained by 
     conditions imposed by the People's Republic of China;
       Whereas successive Congresses have directed the executive 
     branch to develop strategies to obtain meaningful 
     participation for Taiwan in international organizations, such 
     as the World Health Organization, the International Civil 
     Aviation Organization, and the International Criminal Police 
     Organization (commonly known as ``INTERPOL'');
       Whereas the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public 
     Law 115-409) states that--
       (1) it is United States policy ``to support the close 
     economic, political, and security relationship between Taiwan 
     and the United States''; and
       (2) the President should--
          (A) ``conduct regular transfers of defense articles to 
     Taiwan that are tailored to meet the existing and likely 
     future threats from the People's Republic of China, including 
     supporting the efforts of Taiwan to develop and integrate 
     asymmetric capabilities, as appropriate, including mobile, 
     survivable, and cost-effective capabilities, into its 
     military forces''; and
          (B) ``encourage the travel of high-level United States 
     officials to Taiwan, in accordance with the Taiwan Travel 
     Act'';
       Whereas, in presidential elections held on January 11, 
     2020, the incumbent President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, won a 
     second four-year term with the most votes for a presidential 
     candidate since Taiwan began direct elections, winning 57.1 
     percent of the presidential vote; and
       Whereas President Tsai stated in her acceptance speech: 
     ``This election has shown that the Taiwanese people hope the 
     international community will witness our commitment to 
     democratic values and will respect our national identity. We 
     also hope that Taiwan will be given a fair opportunity to 
     participate in international affairs.'': Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the people of Taiwan on holding free and fair 
     democratic elections on January 11, 2020;
       (2) congratulates Madame Tsai Ing-wen on her re-election to 
     the presidency of Taiwan, wishes her well on her inauguration 
     on May 20, 2020, and pledges to deepen the relationship 
     between the peoples of the United States and Taiwan in her 
     second term;
       (3) encourages the President to send a high-level official 
     delegation for President Tsai's second inauguration, 
     consistent with United States law;
       (4) calls upon the United States Government to advocate for 
     Taiwan's active participation in international organizations, 
     including the World Health Organization, the International 
     Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Criminal 
     Police Organization; and
       (5) encourages United States financial support to enhance 
     Taiwan's international participation through the Global 
     Cooperation and Training Framework in recognition of our 
     shared commitment to an open, free, and prosperous Indo-
     Pacific region and beyond.

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