[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 6 (Thursday, January 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S98-S101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMENDING TAIWAN FOR ITS HISTORY OF DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS, AND 
         EXPRESSING SUPPORT OF TAIWAN'S DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I am honored to be on the floor with 
my colleague, Senator Kaine from Virginia, and we are getting ready to 
pass in the U.S. Senate, unanimously, a resolution commending Taiwan 
for its history of democratic elections and expressing support of 
Taiwan's democratic institutions and its upcoming elections this 
Saturday.
  This resolution we have has half the U.S. Senate as cosponsors, and 
we are going to pass it here in a few minutes. That means every Senator 
in the U.S. Senate is supporting this.
  So why are we doing this? Well, it is very important. Taiwan has a 
Presidential election this Saturday. And, of course, the Chinese 
Communist Party and Xi Jinping are doing everything they can to coerce 
the Taiwanese people to interfere in the election, and that is 
something that we are not supportive of at all.
  This resolution goes through the history of Taiwan's democracy. It 
mentions that on Saturday, January 13,

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Taiwan will hold its 8th Presidential election and 10th legislative 
election since it began its transition to democracy.
  It then moves to the sense of the U.S. Senate, where we are 
commending Taiwan for the example it has set for self-governance--not 
just in the Indo-Pacific region, but throughout the whole world where 
the Senate regards the democracy of Taiwan as a great strategic 
strength for the free world and an indispensable component of 
contemporary United States-Taiwan relations, and a sense of the Senate 
in this resolution that we all--all 100 of us--remain concerned about 
the Chinese Communist Party's aggressive interference that is happening 
right now.
  We have had two very good articles recently in our American press. 
Here is one from the Wall Street Journal.
  (Mr. BOOKER assumed the Chair.)
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Wall Street Journal 
article entitled ``China Isn't Backing Off Taiwan: President Xi Jinping 
is using military pressure and propaganda to sway the island's 
presidential election in January'' be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             [From the Wall Street Journal, Nov. 24, 2023]

                     China Isn't Backing Off Taiwan

                        (By the Editorial Board)

       President Biden's recent meeting with Chinese President Xi 
     Jinping in San Francisco has been portrayed by both sides as 
     a step forward in relations. But for all the good vibrations, 
     Mr. Xi isn't giving up his ambition to retake Taiwan, not 
     least by meddling in the island's January presidential 
     election.
       Mr. Xi warned Mr. Biden in California to stop arming Taiwan 
     and not to interfere in the election in favor of the ruling 
     Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that China dislikes. Mr. 
     Biden said he told Mr. Xi that he ``didn't expect any 
     interference, any at all,'' in Taiwan's campaign.
       But that's not how Beijing sees it. China deploys 
     propaganda and military intimidation to nudge Taiwanese 
     toward the Kuomintang, the party friendlier to Beijing. 
     Beijing works hard to infiltrate Taiwan's civil society--from 
     media to the business community.
       One popular Chinese theme is to promote suspicion of the 
     U.S. and its intentions. A recent report by the Information 
     Operations Research Group in Taiwan found 84 examples over 
     three years of Chinese government and media suggesting that 
     Washington will abandon Taiwan, and that the elite of the 
     U.S. and Taiwan are colluding to exploit Taiwan, among other 
     propaganda.
       The Communist Party is also ratcheting up its military 
     harassment. Chinese military aircraft violate the island's 
     air defense zone ``on an almost daily basis,'' as the U.S.-
     China Economic and Security Review Commission said in a 
     November report to Congress.
       The People's Liberation Army (PLA) ran 1,737 such sorties 
     in 2022, according to the report, up from a mere 20 sorties 
     in 2019. Jets flew over the Taiwan Strait's dividing line in 
     2019 for the first time since 1999--and now those median 
     incursions are routine.
       Beijing is running increasingly sophisticated military 
     exercises--joint operations to seize ``control of the sea, 
     air, and information domains around Taiwan,'' as the report 
     to Congress notes. These dress rehearsals are making the PLA 
     more capable. Next year could be rough if the Taiwanese dare 
     to elect the DPP's Lai Ching-te on Jan. 13.
       The U.S. will hold its own election next year, and Mr. Xi 
     might see an opening to strike while Americans are consumed 
     with internal divisions. Mr. Xi has told his military to be 
     ready to fight for Taiwan by 2027, but his economy is 
     struggling and neighbors such as Japan are building up their 
     defenses. He could perceive that his window of opportunity is 
     closing.
       A D-Day-style amphibious assault is not the only scenario 
     the U.S. and Taiwan might face. Mr. Xi could provoke a crisis 
     by seizing an outlying island. Taiwan this year accused 
     Chinese-flagged vessels of ``deliberately cutting the two 
     undersea internet cables'' to Taiwan's Matsu Island, as the 
     report to Congress details.
       Beijing could also try to choke off Taiwan in a blockade, 
     either on its own or as a prelude to an assault. Would 
     America send the U.S. Navy to escort ships and risk a 
     shooting war? Or watch as the island's economy runs out of 
     food and fuel?
       The U.S. will wish it had deterred the crisis when faced 
     with these grim choices. Far better to avoid this conflict 
     than to fight it in any form. Call it an early new year's 
     resolution for President Biden: Arm Taiwan at a faster clip, 
     and show U.S. national will by building up America's Pacific 
     defenses so Mr. Xi believes that taking Taiwan isn't worth 
     the cost.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Washington Post article entitled ``4 ways China is trying to interfere 
in Taiwan's presidential election'' be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               [From the Washington Post, Jan. 11, 2024]

 4 Ways China Is Trying To Interfere in Taiwan's Presidential Election

         (By Lily Kuo, Pei-Lin Wu, Vic Chiang and Joseph Menn)

       Taipei, Taiwan--Floating high-altitude balloons over the 
     island, funding pro-Beijing social media influencers, and 
     hosting local officials on lavish trips to China: These are 
     among the tactics Beijing is accused of deploying to 
     influence Taiwan's presidential election to be held on 
     Saturday.
       For years, Taiwan--which Beijing claims is an 
     ``inalienable'' part of China--has been the target of Chinese 
     influence campaigns aimed at convincing citizens that coming 
     under Chinese Communist Party rule is their best option. 
     Those efforts have come to the fore ahead of what is expected 
     to be the closest presidential and legislative race for the 
     island democracy in decades.
       Taiwanese authorities are investigating 102 cases of 
     foreign interference related to this year's election, 
     according to the Supreme Prosecutors Office--the highest 
     number since Taiwan enacted an anti-infiltration law in 2019. 
     Many of them are related to China, which has an interest in 
     unseating the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), 
     which it sees as promoting formal independence, and seeing a 
     more Beijing-friendly president in office.
       How these attempts fare matter beyond Taiwan. The next 
     Taiwanese president's stance toward Beijing will be a factor 
     in whether China initiates conflict in the Taiwan Strait, one 
     that could draw in the United States and neighboring 
     countries, disrupting global shipping lanes and supplies of 
     critical technology.
       What's more, influence tactics that prove useful in Taiwan 
     could be replicated elsewhere. Taiwanese Foreign Minister 
     Joseph Wu warned on Tuesday: ``In 2024, there are more than 
     40 important democratic elections in the world. If China 
     succeeds in Taiwan, China will use that experience to 
     interfere in the elections of other countries.''
       But measuring the impact or even the presence of Chinese 
     influence efforts is becoming more difficult. Aware that 
     overly blunt tactics could push voters away from China's 
     preferred party--the Kuomintang (KMT)--and toward the DPP, 
     which is leading in polls, China appears wary of overdoing 
     it.
       ``There's a real potential for it to backfire,'' said 
     Alexander Dukalskis, an associate professor at University 
     College Dublin and the author of ``Making the World Safe for 
     Dictatorship.'' ``People don't want to be bullied and 
     intimidated into being told how to vote.''
       The Biden administration has warned China against 
     interfering, while Beijing has accused the DPP of ``hyping 
     up'' the military threat from China for votes.
       ``The Chinese have been hammering away at them with so many 
     different kinds of mechanisms, and it looks at least right 
     now that their least favorite candidate is going to win,'' 
     said a senior U.S. administration official, who spoke on the 
     condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. 
     ``So that is an indication that the system is more 
     resilient.''
       Whether or not these measures affect the election, they can 
     still further China's aims in Taiwan steadily and gradually. 
     ``If I can influence 3 to 5 percent of the people, then I can 
     influence the election result,'' said Chang Chun-Hao, a 
     professor of political science at Tunghai University in 
     Taiwan. ``And even if you don't affect the election results, 
     you have still furthered the unification campaign.''
       These are the four main ways Beijing has been accused of 
     trying to interfere in Taiwan's presidential election this 
     year:


                      1. SOWING INFORMATION CHAOS

       Chinese misinformation in Taiwan used to be easier to 
     catch, with news articles or social media posts clunkily 
     written with vocabulary used mainly in China or in simplified 
     Chinese text instead of the traditional script used in 
     Taiwan. Now, that campaign has been localized, and Chinese 
     propagandists have been encouraged to amplify authentic local 
     disputes and divisions, said Tim Niven, head of research at 
     Taiwan's Doublethink Lab. ``It's putting Taiwanese 
     polarization on steroids,'' he said.
       In the past year, Taiwan has been awash with rumors, 
     including that Taiwanese officials, under orders from 
     Washington, were collecting blood samples from citizens to 
     engineer genetic weapons against China, or that the United 
     States pushed Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC to set up a factory in 
     Arizona so it could abandon Taiwan and its chip supply 
     chains.
       For months, the idea that the United States is not a 
     reliable partner, a concept known as yimeilun, or ``America 
     skepticism,'' has gained traction thanks to consistent 
     amplification by Chinese media.
       Beijing's influence campaign has also tapped networks of 
     local Beijing-friendly content creators. Taiwanese 
     authorities are investigating a digital media company that 
     runs more than 20 Facebook pages with large followings and 
     regularly criticizes the DPP.
       The group's owner was offered content and financial support 
     by a Chinese state media journalist, according to screenshots 
     of the conversations shared with The Washington Post by a 
     security officer involved in the case.
       The officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to 
     share details of an ongoing investigation, said Chinese 
     propagandists often

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     pay Taiwanese influencers to spread narratives that undermine 
     Taiwan's democratic process. Sometimes the goal isn't 
     necessarily to support a particular candidate, but rather to 
     disrupt the election and ``make it chaotic,'' he said.


                      2. CO-OPTING LOCAL OFFICIALS

       Over the past year, China has taken hundreds of local-level 
     Taiwanese officials to Chinese cities. There, sway efforts 
     have been as blatant as handing out vouchers for the 
     streaming platform iQiyi and instructing the visitors to vote 
     for pro-unification candidates, according to Taiwan's 
     prosecutors office.
       These exchanges, in which Taiwanese officials are hosted in 
     China on heavily subsidized trips, have long been seen as an 
     avenue for grass-roots influence operations, with the 
     expectation that they will return with a pro-China message. 
     Taiwanese authorities are investigating 40 people in relation 
     to these visits and potential election interference.
       In other cases, the message was more subtle. Chinese 
     officials told their Taiwanese guests to remember that the 
     two sides of the Taiwan Strait are ``one family,'' according 
     to officials who went on these exchanges. In some, the 
     Chinese hosts were careful not to say anything about the 
     election for risk of jeopardizing these visits.
       ``They would say that the mainland very much hopes the two 
     sides of the Taiwan Strait can be united and that everyone 
     can sit down and talk,'' said one village chief from the 
     Taipei area who went on two trips to China last year. He 
     spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is among those 
     being investigated.
       ``They all want to push unification, or to infiltrate your 
     thinking. It's just some use more subtle methods and others 
     use more crude methods,'' he said.


                3. WIELDING ECONOMIC STICKS AND CARROTS

       Starting Jan. 1, China canceled preferential tariffs on 12 
     chemical compounds from Taiwan. On Tuesday, China's Commerce 
     Ministry said it was studying the possibility of canceling 
     other tariff concessions for agriculture, fish, machinery, 
     auto parts and textiles, measures that Chinese officials said 
     would continue if the DPP maintains its ``pro-independence 
     position.''
       At the same time, Beijing is dangling carrots to others 
     that show some fealty to China. In June, Chinese authorities 
     resumed previously banned imports of sugar apples from some 
     companies after the mayor of Taitung, where the fruit is 
     grown, visited China along with the KMT's vice chairman.
       In December, China said it would resume some imports of 
     grouper after banning it in June. But only imports from six 
     individuals and one company, whose chairman visited China the 
     month before, will be allowed.
       ``The goal is telling those voters who have economic ties 
     with China that they better vote for the candidate [Beijing] 
     prefers,'' said Chiou Yi-Hung, an associate professor of 
     international relations at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung 
     University.


            4. RAMPING UP `GRAY ZONE' MILITARY INTIMIDATION

       China's military, the People's Liberation Army, has 
     increased military incursions near Taiwan over the past year 
     to remind citizens of Beijing's promise to ``reunite'' with 
     Taiwan by force if necessary.
       Ahead of the election, China appears to be using new forms 
     of ``gray zone'' tactics, aggressive measures that stop short 
     of open conflict and are meant to intimidate. Since December, 
     China has sent at least 31 high-altitude balloons--similar to 
     the one discovered and shot down over the United States last 
     year--into Taiwan's airspace. Taiwan's Defense Ministry 
     described the balloons as ``cognitive warfare'' intended to 
     demoralize Taiwan's 23 million people.
       On Tuesday, days before polls were to open, China launched 
     a satellite that unexpectedly crossed over southern Taiwan 
     before entering space, according to Taiwan's Defense 
     Ministry. The launch prompted a rare nationwide emergency 
     alert, whose English version mistakenly described the object 
     in question as ``a missile flyover,'' alarming residents.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, we are almost certainly facing a 
volatile and maybe even dangerous period in the Taiwan Strait because 
of the Chinese Communist Party. The election is January 13. The 
inauguration won't take place until May. So what we need to do as a 
country is to provide steady, unwavering resolve and support of 
Taiwan's democracy, and, of course, we need to continue to critically 
enhance cross-strait deterrence.
  I will end with one final thing before my colleague from Virginia, I 
know, wants to say a few words on this important resolution. But this 
is also a vulnerability for the Chinese Communist Party and Xi Jinping 
himself. Think about it. This undermines--this election--all of these 
elections in Taiwan--undermine the central premise of the Chinese 
Communist Party's rule that one dictator knows what is best for 1.4 
billion people, in perpetuity, for as long as he is alive.
  What I guarantee you the dictators in Beijing are worried about is 
that people in China are going to look across the Taiwan Strait and go: 
Wait a minute. How come we can't do that? Chinese democracy, how come 
we can't do that?
  What we are doing right now is showing commitment and resolve for 
Taiwanese democracy.
  I am proud to say, many, many years ago, on the eve of Taiwan's first 
election, the Chinese Communist Party moved its military up. They shot 
missiles over Taiwan. This is now referred to as the ``Third Taiwan 
Strait Crisis.'' It was a huge crisis in 1995, 1996. And President 
Clinton, to his credit, sent two carrier strike groups and a Marine 
amphibious ready group to show American commitment and resolve.
  I was a young infantry officer on one of those Navy ships during that 
time in the Taiwan Strait, showing American commitment and resolve, and 
that is what we are doing with this resolution on now their eighth 
Presidential election in Taiwan, and I am honored to be here with 
Senator Kaine to pass this unanimous Senate resolution in support of 
Taiwan democracy.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I rise with my colleague from Alaska, 
Senator Sullivan. He and I are good colleagues. We work together on the 
Armed Services Committee. I work closely with him. I learn a lot from 
him. And, usually, on Thursday afternoons, I am learning about an 
Alaskan of the week from Senator Sullivan. But here it is on a Thursday 
afternoon, and we are standing to offer a unanimous consent resolution 
in support of Taiwanese democracy.
  I want to drill that just a little bit more of what a good news story 
Taiwanese democracy is. As many of you know, Taiwan was a single-party 
nation under martial law through much of its history through the end of 
the 1980s. In the late 1980s, Taiwan made a decision. It made a 
fundamental decision to move toward democracy.
  It had its first legislative elections in the early 1990s and its 
first Presidential election in 1996. And since that election, as my 
colleague mentioned, it has had numerous Presidential elections, 
numerous legislative elections; and, often, those elections have led to 
transfer in power--transfer of the Presidency from one party to 
another, transfer of legislative majority from one party to another.
  But Taiwan has built a democracy that is stable enough to withstand 
that, and its respect for human rights, freedom of religion, free 
press, and its successful economy has borne proof to the notion that 
allowing all Taiwanese to participate in democracy has been wonderful 
for Taiwanese society.
  I think Taiwan is a great example. Often in this Chamber, we are 
grappling with really tough issues around the world. We wonder: Will 
Cuba ever be a human rights respecting democracy? Look at Taiwan. What 
about Venezuela? Look at Taiwan. What about the People's Republic of 
China? Look at Taiwan. What about Russia? Look at Taiwan.
  It is important that we shine a spotlight on nations that have made 
the transition from authoritarian to democracy and succeeded socially, 
politically, culturally, economically in that transition.
  As my colleague said, that is a good-news sign, but it is also a sign 
that makes dictators very, very worried.
  The purpose for this resolution is to stand and support Taiwanese 
democracy. As my colleague mentioned, China has been very engaged in 
dis- and misinformation campaigns surrounding this election.
  The election is this weekend. The inauguration will not be until May. 
We could even foresee some potential challenge between the election and 
the inauguration, and we need to stand strong and support Taiwanese 
democracy to do so.
  Last thing I will say is this: I led a delegation from the Senate 
about exactly a month ago to Guatemala under some similar 
circumstances, and the President who was in the chair just a few 
minutes before you, Senator Butler, came along with me, along with some 
other Senate and House colleagues.
  There was a Presidential election in Guatemala and President-elect 
Bernardo Arevalo was swept into office

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on an anti-corruption campaign, promising Guatemalan citizens a real 
democracy that they have deserved for a very long time.
  The outgoing government was trying to disrupt the prospect of a 
peaceful transfer of power, and so we took a bicameral delegation down 
to talk tough to the outgoing government and to speak up for the 
incoming government and try to preserve democracy in Guatemala.
  Why do I bring that up now? I bring it up because Guatemala is one of 
the few nations in the world that recognizes Taiwan, and there had been 
a very furious and corrupt effort by China to get the government or 
Presidential candidates to guarantee they would switch allegiance from 
Taiwan to the People's Republic of China.
  When we were there supporting the will of the Guatemalan people who 
overwhelmingly elected Bernardo Arevalo to be their next President, he 
made a commitment to us that they weren't going to change, they weren't 
going to succumb to Chinese pressure. They were going to continue to 
stand together with another democracy that is moving forward.
  That inauguration will happen on Sunday. The Taiwanese election 
happens on Saturday. We are standing here together, Senator Sullivan 
and I, to support democracies around the world, whether it be Taiwan in 
East Asia, Guatemala in Central America; the United States should stand 
up for those who are embracing a democratic path, and I am proud to 
support--along with so many of our colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle--this UC resolution.
  And with that, I yield to my colleague from Alaska.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague from 
Virginia. And right here, I have the resolution. As I mentioned, half 
the U.S. Senate--Democrats and Republicans--are cosponsors of this 
important resolution commending Taiwan for its history of democratic 
elections, expressing concern about the Chinese Communist Party's 
interference in this upcoming election, and expressing our support for 
Taiwan's democratic institutions.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
consideration of S. Res. 521, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 521) commending Taiwan for its 
     history of democratic elections, and expressing support of 
     Taiwan's democratic institutions.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 521) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record 
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, for those watching all over the world, 
this Senate resolution, with 50 Democratic and Republican Senate 
cosponsors, has now passed the U.S. Senate as an official resolution 
commending the people of Taiwan for their democratic elections and 
expressing our support for the upcoming election this Saturday.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________