CTC Writes to President Bush

October 22, 2002

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Quigley: We do frequently meet with representatives of the Taiwan military, in accordance with the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act, again, to discuss issues of interaction and means by which to provide for the defense of Taiwan. But by the same token, as a policy issue, we do not typically provide any details of those meetings. I will say that there have been seven of them in the last four years, since 1997.

Dear President Bush:

As Members of Congress concerned about US-Taiwan relations, we want to thank you for your steadfast support for the long-standing partnership between the United States and our democratic ally, Taiwan.

As stated during your February 2002 trip to Asia, you included Taiwan as one of the "good friends" of the United States, along with some of our most important allies Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines. In addition to this heartfelt designation, you also emphasized the continued importance of the Taiwan Relations Act and the enduring relationship between the United States and Taiwan. We agree with your views that Taiwan, which shares American ideals of pursuit of peace, humanitarian rights and democracy, should be recognized for her commitment to the principles that we and other freedom-loving nations hold dear.

Mr. President, we also share your deeply held views for a peaceful settlement of the Taiwan Strait issue, which is in the mutual interest of Taiwan, China, and the United States. We were reassured to hear you re-emphasize U.S. policy that recognizes the importance of a solution to the Taiwan Strait issue that is peaceful, free from threats and intimidation, and with the express consent of the people of democratic Taiwan. Please know that we were extremely proud to hear you reinforce the fundamental position of the United States on this vital question.

In your National Security Strategy, you again praised Taiwan for its democratic development and stated that the United States will "make freedom and the development of democratic institutions key themes in our bilateral relations, seeking solidarity and cooperation from other democracies while we press governments that deny human rights to move toward a better future... "We agree with your statement and believe that Taiwan is one of our strongest partners in the global campaign to spread democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

It is our understanding that you will be meeting with China's President Jiang Zemin later this month at your ranch in Crawford, Texas. While we understand that there are many important issues you will be discussing with President Jiang, we hope that you will remind him of the importance you place on U.S.-Taiwan relations and Taiwan's support for democracy and international human rights. In addition it is important that you impress upon President Jiang our utmost respect for the democratic rights of the people of Taiwan to determine their own future and to participate in international organizations. Finally, we urge you to address China's disturbing buildup of 400 missiles along the Taiwan Straits. It is imperative that China reduces its arsenal of weapons and withdraws its missiles aimed at Taiwan, which seriously undermine peace and stability in the region.

Mr. President, as Co-Chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus we believe that your vision for peace and stability in East Asia, a peace with a secure and prosperous Taiwan as key participant in the family of democracies, is quite clear. We stand firmly by you in your support for Taiwan and look forward to working with you to strengthen the long-standing friendship and cooperation between our two nations.

Sincerely,

Steve Chabot
Sherrod Brown
Dana Rohrabacher
Robert Wexler