[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19230]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



          TRIBUTE TO THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON ITS NATIONAL DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. WM. LACY CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 10, 2001

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents, I wish to extend 
my warmest congratulations today to President Chen Shul-bian and to all 
Taiwanese people on the occasion of the Republic of China's National 
Day.
  Taiwan is one of America's closest and most reliable allies and it is 
one of Asia's greatest democracies. Our decades-long relationship with 
Taiwan continues to be strong and I am certain it will remain so for 
generations to come. The warmth of our relationship can best be gauged 
by examining the level of friendly interaction between our two nations.
  Our bi-lateral trade, which topped $64.8 billion last year, continues 
to grow at a healthy pace and has made Taiwan the United States' eighth 
largest global trading partner. And last year, nearly 30,000 students 
from Taiwan attended colleges and universities here in the United 
States. Additionally, outside of Asia, the United States is the number 
one tourist destination for Taiwan travelers.
  Clearly, the people of Taiwan, like the United States share many of 
the same values that we hold dear, values such as freedom, democracy 
and the defense of human rights. And they have always remained a 
steadfast ally in a region of vital importance.
  Recently, the Taiwanese people and their government once again 
demonstrated the values and commitment they share with us, by standing 
with us in the fight against global terrorism following the September 
11th attack on our country. The Taiwan government has pledged to do 
everything it can to assist us in eliminating the evil scourge of 
terrorism that threatens peace-loving democracies around the world. The 
people of Taiwan can be proud of President Chen for the excellent job 
he has done in leading their nation, and equally proud for the fine 
representation they receive here in Washington from Ambassador C.J. 
Chen.
  So to President Chen Shui-bian and to all the people of Taiwan, I 
want to say ``Good Luck and Good Fortune'' to each of you as you 
celebrate your National Day.

                          ____________________