[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13324]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING DOUBLE TEN DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SCOTT DesJARLAIS

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 21, 2016

  Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
upcoming Double Ten Day, the Republic of China's, also known as Taiwan, 
national day, which falls on October 10th. As the House will not be in 
session that day, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my 
early best wishes to the people of Taiwan.
  Over the past 50 years, Taiwan has undergone dramatic political, 
social, and economic changes and is now the only democracy in the 
Chinese speaking world. This year, the people of Taiwan witnessed the 
third peaceful transition of power with the election of the first woman 
to the Presidency, Dr. Tsai Ing-wen.
  There are important common values and principles that link the United 
States and Taiwan, including respect for human rights, freedom, and 
democracy and I commend President Tsai Ing-wen for reiterating Taiwan's 
commitment to these values.
  Taiwan has been and will continue to be a reliable and vital trading 
partner in East Asia. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 
U.S. trade in goods with Taiwan reached U.S. $66 billion last year, 
making Taiwan our 9th largest trading partner in 2015.
  Taiwan is a prosperous society, a major contributor to the global 
economy, and plays an important role in the peace and security of the 
Asia-Pacific region. As such, it is troubling to know that Taiwan 
continues to be barred from a number of international organizations, 
many of which, like the International Civil Aviation Organization 
(ICAO), serve to promote safety and strengthen diplomacy among the 
global community. For the sake of passenger safety and international 
security, the country must be brought into the ICAO fold. Taiwan should 
be invited to attend the ICAO Assembly on a regular basis, enabling it 
to keep up-to-date with important matters and assist the Assembly in 
ensuring the safe, secure, and sustainable development of international 
civil aviation.
  In closing, I applaud the nation of Taiwan for its strong commitment 
to democratic values and I wish them all the best at their celebrations 
in Taiwan and at the Twin Oaks Estate.

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