[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 21348-21350]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING HIGH LEVEL VISITS BY OFFICIALS OF TAIWAN

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 136) expressing the sense of 
Congress regarding high level visits to the United States by 
democratically-elected officials of Taiwan, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows

                            H. Con. Res. 136

       Whereas, for over half a century, a close relationship has 
     existed between the United States and Taiwan, which has been 
     of enormous political, economic, cultural, and strategic 
     advantage to both countries;
       Whereas Taiwan is one of the strongest democratic allies of 
     the United States in the Asia-Pacific region;
       Whereas it is United States policy to support and 
     strengthen democracy around the world;
       Whereas, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Taiwan made 
     a remarkable transition to a full-fledged democracy with a 
     vibrant economy and a vigorous multi-party political system 
     that respects human rights and the rule of law;
       Whereas in spite of its praise for democracy in Taiwan, the 
     United States Government continues to adhere to guidelines 
     from the 1970s that bar the President, Vice President, 
     Premier, Foreign Minister, and Defense Minister of Taiwan 
     from coming to Washington, DC;
       Whereas these restrictions deprive the President, Congress, 
     and the American public of the opportunity to engage in a 
     direct dialogue regarding developments in the Asia-Pacific 
     region and key elements of the relationship between the 
     United States and Taiwan;
       Whereas whenever high-level visitors from Taiwan, including 
     the President, seek to come to the United States, their 
     request results in a period of complex, lengthy and 
     humiliating negotiations;
       Whereas lifting these restrictions will help bring a United 
     States friend and ally out of its isolation, which will be 
     beneficial to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region;
       Whereas in consideration of the major economic, security, 
     and political interests shared by the United States and 
     Taiwan, it is to the benefit of the United States for United 
     States officials to meet and communicate directly with the 
     democratically-elected officials of Taiwan;
       Whereas since the Taiwan Strait is one of the flashpoints 
     in the world, it is essential that United States policymakers 
     directly communicate with the leaders of Taiwan; and
       Whereas section 221 of the Immigration and Nationality 
     Technical Corrections Act of 1994 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) 
     provides that the President or other high-level officials of 
     Taiwan may visit the United States, including Washington, DC, 
     at any time to discuss a variety of important issues: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) restrictions on visits to the United States by high-
     level elected and appointed officials of Taiwan, including 
     the democratically-elected President of Taiwan, should be 
     lifted;
       (2) the United States should allow direct high-level 
     exchanges at the Cabinet level with the Government of Taiwan, 
     in order to strengthen a policy dialogue with Taiwan; and
       (3) it is in the interest of the United States to 
     strengthen links between the United States and the 
     democratically-elected officials of Taiwan and demonstrate 
     stronger support for democracy in the Asia-Pacific region.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Ros-Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from American Samoa.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from American Samoa?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I would first like 
to commend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) for introducing this 
important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, Taiwan was once a politically backward, authoritarian 
state living under the cloud of martial law and serious human rights 
abuses. In the matter of a few short decades, it has transformed itself 
into a thriving and energetic democracy that is a shining beacon for 
human rights all over the Asian-Pacific region.
  Based on our mutual commitment to freedom and democracy, the U.S.-
Taiwan relationship has blossomed in step with Taiwan's own revolution. 
Our two nations now share a complex web of economic, political and 
strategic ties that only deepen over time.
  A fundamental element of our burgeoning relationship is our people-
to-people ties. With open arms, we have welcomed Taiwan's businessmen, 
its students, its scientists, and its artists. My recollection is over 
90,000 students from Taiwan attend our colleges and universities 
throughout our country.
  But when it comes to Taiwan's democratically elected leaders, the 
United States, under both Democratic and Republican administrations, 
has repeatedly slammed the door in their face. Why, when the Government 
of Taiwan is a key player in the Asia-Pacific region, do we prevent 
their highest-level decision makers from even traveling to the United 
States?
  This ill-considered policy toward Taiwan's democratically elected 
leadership is due to one simple fact: Our policymakers in the White 
House and State Department cringe in fear that Beijing or the People's 
Republic of China will be upset if we welcome Taiwan's leaders to our 
Nation.
  To say that this reasoning is wrongheaded is an understatement. 
Welcoming Taiwanese officials does not

[[Page 21349]]

mean that we have abandoned the One China Policy nor recognize or 
endorse Taiwan's secession from China. It is simply an acknowledgement 
that Taiwan is a democracy, and we treat democratically elected 
officials with respect.
  High-level visits also advance our policy of maintaining peace in the 
Taiwan Strait through diplomacy and negotiation. Taiwan's leaders need 
to hear firsthand that the American people strongly support Taiwan and 
hope for a peaceful, mutually acceptable outcome to the tensions across 
the Taiwan Strait.
  The current, antiquated policy cuts us from valuable opportunities to 
gather information and exchange views on matters of critical importance 
to the United States; it reduces the ability of both the Taiwanese and 
the American people to strengthen economic and cultural ties; and it 
limits American access to world leaders who play a direct role in the 
interest of the United States. Perhaps most profoundly, Mr. Speaker, 
our outdated policy is profoundly disrespectful to the leadership of a 
democratic friend of the United States.
  This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the restriction 
on travel for high-level elected and appointed officials from Taiwan to 
the United States should be lifted so we can strengthen our crucial 
relationship.
  I recall years ago when Taiwan's first elected President, Mr. Lee, 
was invited by his alma mater, Cornell University, where he obtain his 
doctorate degree in agricultural science. There was a whole bunch of 
problems created due to the fact that an elected leader from Taiwan 
wanted to visit his alma mater, Cornell University, and he was 
prohibited simply because he was an elected official.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense resolution which I strongly 
support and urge my colleagues to support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the sponsor of this resolution, Mr. Chabot, is 
unfortunately delayed due to airport difficulties, but his statement 
will be included for the Record.
  Confucius once declared that ``greeting an old friend from afar is 
one of life's greatest pleasures.'' Well, the purpose of this 
resolution is to carry out this wise saying of Confucius, for the 
leaders and people of Taiwan have been among the most steadfast friends 
of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. From the dark days of 
the Korean War and the Taiwan Strait crisis of the late 1950s, the 
people of Taiwan and the people of the United States have stood 
together against the threat of communist tyranny.
  A half century of friendship has developed, with deepening commercial 
ties, and in more recent years, a shared love of democratic values. It 
is only natural, as Confucius noted, to warmly welcome the leaders of 
such close friends to Washington.
  But the restrictions placed on travel to our country by 
democratically elected officials in Taiwan, adopted by a series of U.S. 
administrations, is a self-inflicted wound. The often-quoted Shanghai 
communique issued in 1972 contains no such restriction. Nor is there 
any limitation spelled out in the Taiwan Relations Act. In this regard, 
the intentions of Congress in the Taiwan Relations Act are clear: ``To 
promote the foreign policy of the United States by authorizing the 
continuation of commercial, cultural and other relations between the 
people of the United States and the people of Taiwan.'' How can such 
relations be promoted without direct communications between officials 
of the United States and Taiwan?
  No one likes being told whom they can or cannot invite to their own 
home. Americans consider their home to be ``their castle,'' with a 
sacred right to decide their own affairs within. No outsider should 
dictate rules and regulations within the American home.
  So let's put out the welcome mat for our friends, the democratically 
elected officials from Taiwan, by giving overwhelming support to this 
long overdue resolution. I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) 
for authoring it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentlewoman from Florida 
(Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for her kind remarks, and I commend the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) who could not make it because of travel 
problems. Quoting also from the words of Confucius, there are many 
acquaintances but very few friends, and I believe we are one of the few 
friends Taiwan has, and we should continue that relationship.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce).
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I would again say thanks to the gentleman 
from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) and the gentlewoman from Florida 
(Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for their work on this issue and for the time that 
they are yielding.
  I first became acquainted with Taiwan when I flew there. I was 
stationed in Southeast Asia in the military Air Force, and we had 
missions in and out of Taipei and other airfields, and I began to have 
a love for the Chinese people there in Taiwan.
  After I came back to the United States, I met a good friend who had 
come from Taiwan and opened a small restaurant in my hometown of Hobbs, 
New Mexico. Joe Ye and his wife and their son have been long friends of 
our family. We have had many deep discussions about the future of 
Taiwan.
  So it was with some alarm that I went to Beijing and heard meeting 
after meeting where the leadership of that country began to say that 
Taiwan needs to understand that they should voluntarily admit to being 
part of mainland China. And then the question arose, What if they don't 
voluntarily do that? The response was always a very unanimous, 
straightforward, Then we will do it for them militarily.
  Those things began to alert me that we have in the future very 
difficult questions that we need to answer among ourselves here about 
our old friendships. If we do not have the internal strength, the 
internal courage, if we do not have the political will to stand by 
those countries that have stood by us, to remember those old friends 
from afar, then this Nation will indeed begin to undercut the basis of 
friendship for many countries, because each one of us is measured by 
how we live our lives and how we act. And our government, no less, is 
measured by the way it responds. If we respond to old friends by 
walking away, by turning our back, by not letting them come here to 
visit, it is one of the most insensible and insensitive things that we 
can do.
  I really appreciate the work of both parties. Again, this is a good 
bipartisan effort to express the sense of this Congress that we will 
remember our friendships and that we will honor those relationships, 
that we do understand the importance of the future and the past as we 
consider who we will spend our time with. And we as a Nation must 
understand that our government's actions are reflecting every day a 
value system. Those value systems should reflect what we, the American 
people, would have, not what seems politically correct or convenient at 
the moment.
  That is not the way I want to be judged, and I don't think it is the 
way that people in this House want to be judged. I urge all Members to 
support this resolution to send a loud message to our friends in Taiwan 
that we do remember you and we do welcome you.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Pearce) for his eloquent statement in support of this 
resolution.
  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 136. ...
  This common-sense legislation is long overdue.
  This resolution will help open the lines of communication between 
government leaders in Taiwan, and their counterparts here in the United 
States.
  The resolution makes it clear once again that the U.S. Department of 
State that they

[[Page 21350]]

should not take actions to prevent high level exchanges between the 
government of Taiwan and the government of the United States. I say 
``again'' because Federal law already makes it clear that high ranking 
Taiwanese officials are already explicitly authorized to visit the 
United States.
  Public Law 103-416 says that the President of Taiwan or any other 
high-level should be admitted for discussions with U.S. government 
officials about important policy issues unless he or she is excludable 
under the immigration laws of the United States.
  Unfortunately, like so many other laws this Congress has passed, is 
simply ignored by the State Department. The Department seems more 
interested in complying with communist China's demands than in 
following the laws made by this democratically elected Congress.
  As a result of this defiance, it has become nearly impossible for 
President Chen, Vice President Annette Lu and other high ranking 
Taiwanese officials travel to Washington, DC even for routine meetings 
with administration officials. Instead, these officials are often 
confined to cities far from the Nation's Capital, and often only then 
as a point of transit en route to another country. This is 
unconscionable.
  Mr. Speaker, we host all kinds of foreign leaders in Washington 
because a two-way dialogue is important for maintaining and improving 
our cultural, economic--and yes--security interests around the world. 
Keeping an open channel with our democratic allies in Taiwan is part of 
that process.
  I am pleased that my friend Mr. Chabot has worked so hard to bring 
this bill to the floor today. And I strongly support his efforts to 
help improve our communication with our friends and allies in Taiwan.
  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, it's very unfortunate that we have to come 
back year after year to urge that restrictions should be lifted for 
high-level visits by appointed and democratically elected leaders of 
Taiwan.
  Our misguided Taiwan policy is nothing new. The so-called ``One 
China'' policy is a bipartisan mistake--begun in the Nixon-Kissinger 
era and exacerbated by President Carter's abrogation of our Mutual 
Defense Treaty in 1980. It continues to this day.
  Just last week, dozens of Members of Congress welcomed Taiwan's 
Democrat Progressive Party's nominee for the Presidency, Mr. Frank 
Hsieh, to our Nation's Capitol. There was a little gallows humor at the 
gathering because, in fact, if Mr. Hsieh wins the election next year, 
he will no longer be able to come to visit with his friends in 
Washington, D.C.
  Our insulting policy toward our democratic friend and ally should be 
cast aside to reflect the reality of our strong relationship with 
Taiwan. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy of some 23,000,000. It is our 8th 
largest trading partner and the world's 18th largest economy. The 
Taiwanese people enjoy a full range of freedoms not enjoyed on the 
other side of the Taiwan Strait--freedom of religion, freedom of the 
press, and freedom to elect all of their leaders.
  Taiwan is a model for young democracies and a great friend to the 
United States. We should recognize that friendship by abandoning our 
insulting policy on high level visits and welcoming our Taiwanese 
friends with open arms. It is the right thing to do.
  I urge support of the resolution.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. 
Res. 136 which expresses the sense of Congress that restrictions on 
visits to the United States by high-level elected officials from 
Taiwan--including the President of Taiwan--should be lifted. And I 
thank my friend, Mr. Chabot of Ohio, for introducing this important 
resolution.
  Taiwan is without a doubt one of the most important allies of the 
United States in the Asia Pacific region. Taiwan is a rising economic 
power and has consistently ranked as one of the top ten U.S. export 
markets. In 2005, U.S.--Taiwan bilateral trade totaled $57 billion. In 
addition, our political ties with Taiwan have become ever more 
important in a world where China is increasing its global reach.
  I am the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the 
Western Hemisphere. In Central America and the Caribbean, I have seen 
China continue to expand its presence while Taiwan becomes increasingly 
isolated. Given these realities in our own hemisphere, I believe that 
we must work closely with Taiwan to increase its global visibility and 
membership in international organizations when it is strategically and 
politically feasible.
  Given our strong political and economic relationship, it would seem 
inconceivable that we would place restrictions on high-level elected 
officials of Taiwan during their visits to the United States. Taiwan is 
a key U.S. ally which is trying hard to maintain its international 
position, and we should give Taiwan our strong support. I commend Mr. 
Chabot for introducing this important resolution and hope that Congress 
can work closely with the Bush Administration to ensure that these 
restrictions are actually removed.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 136, as 
amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as amended, was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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