[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10694-10695]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         TRIBUTE TO REPUBLIC OF CHINA PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. THOMAS G. TANCREDO

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 19, 2005

  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to convey my best wishes to 
Republic of China President Chen Shui-Bian as he begins the sixth year 
of his presidency. I would also like to Congratulate President Chen on 
the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the 
nation of Nauru. It is my sincere hope that the United States and 
Taiwan will soon re-establish formal ties as well.
  The election of President Chen to his first term in 2000 was a 
watershed moment for Taiwan, signifying the first election of an 
opposition party candidate to that post since the establishment of the 
ROC nearly a century ago. He was re-elected last year.
  Since President Chen came to office, he has maintained his commitment 
to the advance of democracy. Successful legislative elections, a 
referendum, a presidential election, and most recently a poll to elect 
members of a National Assembly that will undertake the monumental task 
of rewriting Taiwan's decades old constitution, have all been held.
  Under President Chen's leadership, Taiwan has continued its progress 
by improving its status as the Western Pacific's flagship democracy and 
as one of its premier economic powerhouses. What is perhaps most 
astonishing, however, is that this has been accomplished in spite of 
the tense and ominous environment created by China.
  Mr. Speaker, Taiwan's robust democratic institutions shine 
particularly brightly precisely because of their close proximity to the 
People's Republic of China. The PRC, after all, is a nation where open 
political discourse and the free exchange of ideas remain largely non-
existent. It is this glaring contrast between Taiwan and the People's 
Republic of China that will continue to be a source of tension--
regardless of how many Panda bears China's leaders might send to 
Taiwanese zoos, or how many Wax Apples they might purchase from 
Taiwanese farmers.
  I think President Chen summed up the situation rather eloquently when 
he recently said, ``The greatest obstacle between the two sides of the 
Strait lies in our democratic disparity--not in our political 
separation.''
  So, Mr. Speaker, I extend my congratulations to President Chen on the 
last five years of his presidency, and I wish him the best of luck in 
the future as he works to strengthen the historic and decades-long 
friendship between our two nations.

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