[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 22 (Monday, June 2, 2003)]
[Page 679]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing Legislation Concerning Participation of Taiwan in 
the World Health Organization

May 29, 2003

    Today I have signed into law S. 243, an Act concerning participation 
of Taiwan in the World Health Organization. The United States fully 
supports the overall goal of Taiwan's participation in the work of the 
World Health Organization, including observership. The United States has 
expressed publicly its firm support for Taiwan's observer status and 
will continue to do so. The executive branch shall, as is consistent 
with the President's constitutional authority to conduct the Nation's 
foreign affairs, construe the Act to be consistent with the ``one 
China'' policy of the United States, which remains unchanged. 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. The Secretary of State will continue, of course, 
as a matter of comity to keep the Congress appropriately informed of the 
matters addressed by the reporting requirement.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 May 29, 2003.

Note: S. 243, approved May 29, was assigned Public Law No. 108-28.