[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14903]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN)

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 5, 2011

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, October 10th marks the 100th 
anniversary of China's Wuchang Uprising which led to the creation of 
the Republic of China, ROC, that now exists on Taiwan. The uprising 
marked the end of the Qing Dynasty in what is now the ROC, effectively 
ending 2,000 years of imperial rule and resulting in East Asia's now-
oldest republic.
  It is worthy of note that the Republic of China was born at a time 
when many repressive and colonial regimes ruled much of East Asia.
  Its founding father, Sun Yat-sen, had hoped the ROC would one day 
develop into a fully democratic society modeled on many of the same 
principles and norms that he had observed while an adolescent in 
Hawaii. And though it came to pass well after he left this world, and 
on a different land mass, his dreams of representative democracy are an 
undeniable reality on Taiwan today.
  The ROC's emulation of American principles and ideals has not been 
limited to the political arena. Time after time, whether it be in the 
struggle against fascism, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or joining 
us in calling for the removal of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, 
the ROC--be it housed on mainland China, or Taiwan--has stood shoulder 
to shoulder with the United States to defend and promote the very 
values and ideals that inspired Dr. Sun to create the ROC in the first 
place.
  In recognition of all of the foregoing, I ask my colleagues to join 
me in congratulating the Republic of China on Taiwan on its 100th 
anniversary, while also acknowledging its Founding Fathers' foresight 
and--most of all--thanking the government and the people of Taiwan for 
their loyalty, friendship and support for an entire century.

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