[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22889]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRATULATING TAIWAN ON ITS NATIONAL DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. G.K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 26, 2008

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, people in the Republic of China will 
be celebrating their National Day this October 10. Taiwan is one of our 
largest trading partners and has worked very hard in reducing its trade 
surplus with us year after year. A democracy, Taiwan shares many 
economic, social and cultural values with us. We know for a fact that 
Taiwanese tourists choose the United States as their first destination, 
when traveling outside of Asia. We know Taiwan has more than 30,000 and 
students studying in the United States. A majority of their cabinet 
secretaries were educated in the United States and have advanced U.S. 
degrees
  Their newly elected Present is a Harvard-educated attorney. Taiwan's 
ties to us are many and our mutual relations seem to have dramatically 
improved with the recent appointment of their top Washington envoy: 
Ambassador Jason Yuan. Ambassador Yuan is one of the most distinguished 
diplomats from Taiwan and knows Washington well.
  I am happy to learn that Taiwan has recently improved its relations 
with the Chinese mainland as well. There have been visits by Taiwan 
leaders to the mainland and vice versa. Both sides are engaged in 
productive discussions over the reduction of tension in the Taiwan 
Strait and the improvement of ties. They are building mutual trust and 
confidence in their bilateral relations, nurturing a long-lasting 
amity.
  Congratulations to Taiwan and the Taiwanese people.

                          ____________________