[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 21884]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       TAIWAN'S NATIONAL HOLIDAY

 Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, today, October 10th, is the 89th 
observance of National Day in the Republic of China on Taiwan. From its 
early days of struggle on the Chinese mainland to the establishment of 
the vigorous democracy and free market economy that we know today on 
Taiwan, the Republic of China has made great strides since its founding 
on October 10, 1911.
  The vision of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of 
China, was expressed in what he called the ``Three Principles of the 
People''--nationalism, democracy, and the people's well being. We all 
hope that Dr. Sun's vision, which has been realized so impressively on 
Taiwan, will some day be equally as true on the Chinese mainland.
  Taiwan held its most recent parliamentary election in December 1998 
and, of course, conducted its most recent presidential election just 
this past March. The election of Chen Shui-bian as president marked 
Taiwan's first transition of power from one party to another at the 
national level. Even more important, it marked the first time in the 
5,000-year-long history of Chinese society that one democratically-
elected head of state was succeeded by another.
  In the economic and social fields, Taiwan's success is well known. 
The 22 million people of Taiwan are responsible for the 19th largest 
gross national product in the world. Japan is the only country with a 
larger population in all of Asia that has a higher standard of living 
than Taiwan's. Taiwan has an extraordinarily diversified economy: all 
the way from being virtually a ``silicon island'' and the world's third 
largest supplier of computer chips to being a major manufacturing power 
in such heavy industries as steel and shipbuilding.
  All of this has not come about by accident. Wise leadership, dating 
back to the 1950's, laid the groundwork for the dynamic nation we see 
today. With strong and continued American support--and this is ever 
more crucial to the security and stability of the entire East Asia 
region--Taiwan will thrive and prosper far into the future. Believe me, 
the world is watching to see how the United States treats democratic 
Taiwan, because the future of every other democracy in East Asia is 
ultimately contingent on the stand we take.
  The success of Taiwan must also continue to serve as an example--as 
well as a challenge--to the people and government on the Chinese 
mainland. The free, prosperous, democratic society that Taiwan has 
become is a glimpse of what can come to be on the mainland if the 
dictatorship in Beijing would get out of the way.
  And so I salute the Republic of China on Taiwan on the occasion of 
National Day. And I look forward to many more celebrations to 
come.

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