[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23439]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING PRESIDENT CHEN OF TAIWAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2004

  Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Taiwan's National Day on October 
10, 2004, I wish to salute President Chen Shui-bian and the Taiwanese 
people for their many economic and political accomplishments.
  Even though Taiwan is a small island nation with few natural 
resources, it has prospered. With one of the world's largest foreign 
exchange reserves, Taiwan's 23 million people enjoy one of the highest 
standards of living in the world. President Chen believes that every 
citizen of Taiwan ought to enjoy the right to work, the right to 
freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the right to an education, 
the right to medical care, the right to participate in elections, and 
the right to social security in the event of unemployment, illness and 
disability.
  In his May 20 inaugural address to his people, President Chen 
expressed his hope that Taiwan-China ties could be strengthened and 
urged cooperation in building a dynamic ``peace and stability 
framework'' for cross-strait interaction. I hope that talks will resume 
toward that end.
  Even though Taiwan and the United States do not have formal 
diplomatic ties, our two peoples are very close. In terms of trading 
relations with us, Taiwan is our eighth largest trading partner, thus 
providing many jobs for our manufacturers. In addition, more than 
30,000 Taiwan students study at U.S. colleges and universities. The 
United States is the number one destination for most of Taiwan 
travelers. The U.S. and Taiwan share many values in common, such as 
attachment to freedom, democracy, and human rights.
  As Taiwan celebrates National Day, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing Taiwan's many accomplishments and offering our support to 
President Chen as he provides leadership, vision, and direction for 
Taiwan.

                          ____________________