[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 22019]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TAIWAN'S NATIONAL DAY

  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
President and the people of Taiwan on the occasion of Taiwan's National 
Day on October 10.
  Despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations between the United 
States and Taiwan over the last 25 years, the relationship between the 
two countries has continued to flourish in terms of economics, 
politics, security, culture and education, science and technology, and 
human rights. Most important, we share with Taiwan the core values of 
democracy and freedom. In the past two decades, Taiwan has truly 
emerged as a model democracy. Taiwan's economy currently ranks as the 
l6th largest in the world. As Secretary of State Colin Powell stated, 
``Taiwan has become a resilient economy, a vibrant democracy and a 
generous contributor to the international community.'' I hope that we 
will continue to help Taiwan proceed on the path toward further 
democratization and peaceful relations with its neighbors.
  The President of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian, is a dedicated and strong 
leader for the people of Taiwan. In his May 20 inaugural address to his 
people, he reiterated his commitment to maintaining peace and stability 
in the Taiwan Strait, which is vital to the political development and 
economic prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.
  In closing, I wish to congratulate President Chen, the Taiwan 
Ambassador, Dr. David Lee, and the people of Taiwan on their National 
Day and wish them every success in the years to come.

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