[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
[June 14, 2004]
[Pages 1044-1045]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Signing Legislation Supporting the Participation of Taiwan 
in the World Health Organization
June 14, 2004

    Today, I have signed into law S. 2092, an Act concerning 
participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization. The United 
States fully supports the participation of Taiwan in the work of the 
World Health Organization, including observer status. The United States 
has expressed publicly its firm support for Taiwan's observer status and 
will continue to do so.

[[Page 1045]]

Consistent with the President's constitutional authority to conduct the 
Nation's foreign affairs, the Executive shall construe the Act to be 
consistent with the ``one China'' policy of the United States, which 
remains unchanged, and determine the measures best suited to advance the 
overall goal of Taiwan participation in the World Health Organization. 
The executive branch also shall construe the reporting requirement in 
section 1(c) of the Act in a manner consistent with the President's 
constitutional authority to withhold information the disclosure of which 
could impair foreign relations, the national security, the deliberative 
processes of the Executive, or the performance of the Executive's 
constitutional duties. As a matter of comity, the Secretary of State 
will continue to keep the Congress appropriately informed of the matters 
addressed by the reporting requirement.

                                                          George W. Bush

 The White House,

 June 14, 2004.

Note: S. 2092, approved June 14, was assigned Public Law No. 108-235.