Click here for FAPA's Statement on the issue

Click here for Congressman Garrett's statement

For Immediate Release   

Contact Iris Ho                                                                                                            February 9, 2006 

US REP. ISSUES STATEMENT, ENDORSING PRESIDENT CHEN’S VIEWS ON ABOLISHING NUC

A member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) in a statement dated yesterday, February 8, expressed endorsement for President Chen’s recent remarks on abolishing the National Unification Council/Guidelines.

Rep. Garrett states: “Recently, President Chen proposed to prudently think over abolishing all ad hoc institutions under the Office of the President that were not established by law. One of those programs, the National Unification Commission (NUC), has long had its effectiveness in question and he doesn’t want to see unification became the only option for the cross-strait relations.”

In his statement, Rep.Garrett denounces Chinese continued attempts to threaten Taiwan with military force. He states, “The deployment of more than 700 missiles along the southeast coast indicates that China still stubbornly clings to a military solution to the Taiwan issues. Mr. speaker, military intimidation over Taiwan is no solution to the cross-strait relations.”

Rep. Garrett also voices his support for President Chen’s remarks on joining the United Nations. He states: “China must not block Taiwan’s attempts to gain international recognition or to return to international organizations. Taiwan is a free and democratic nation and deserves to be treated with respect by the international community.”

He concludes, “President Chen is a man of peace who has reaffirmed his commitment to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait on many occasions. His goal of reducing tensions between Taiwan and China remains unchanged. It is my hope that China will reciprocate Chen’s olive branch by renouncing the use of force against Taiwan and resuming dialogue on equal footing and without pre-conditions.”

FAPA President CT Lee says: “FAPA has sent a letter to President Bush and Secretary Rice on February 3rd, expressing Taiwanese Americans’ support for President Chen. The letter echoed the exact same sentiment expressed here in Rep. Garrett’s statement.”

CT Lee continues, “In FAPA’s letter, we urged the Bush administration to abolish the outdated One China Policy. We also challenge the US statement that the Taiwan’s future should be mutually agreeable to people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. We believe that the future of Taiwan should be determined SOLELY by the people of Taiwan, and by nobody else.”

新聞聯絡人何燕青 202-547-3686/ 202-255-1593

【FAPA 新聞稿】                                                                                                                                        【2006年2月9日】

美眾議員發表聲明，支持陳總統廢除國統會/綱領言論

美國眾議員蓋瑞特(Scott Garrett, R-NJ)於昨日發表聲明，支持陳總統廢除國統綱領與國統會的相關言論。蓋瑞特議員表示，「陳總統近來有意仔細審視是否廢除所有不是透過法律途徑而產生的政府機構，其中一個機構國統會的效率早已受到質疑，而且他（陳總統）並不希望看到統一成為兩岸走向的唯一選擇。」　

除了表達對台灣的支持外，身為台灣連線成員的蓋瑞特議員並在聲明中大力抨擊中國對台灣的各項文攻武嚇。

蓋瑞特議員表示：「中國在其東南沿海佈署逾七百枚飛彈，證明中國仍然固執地緊抱著以武力方式來解決台灣議題。以武力恐嚇台灣，不是台海問題的解決之道。」

此外，對於陳總統爭取參與聯合國的言論，蓋瑞特議員也深表讚同。他表示：「中國不應阻止台灣爭取國際承認，或是重返國際組織。台灣是一個自由民主國家，理應受到國際社會的尊重。」

蓋瑞特議員最後表示：「陳總統愛好和平，一再於不同場合中重申維持台海現狀的承諾。他欲降低台灣與中國緊張氣氛的目標從未改變。我誠摯希望中國能夠回應陳總統的橄欖枝，放棄使用武力，並在未設前提以及對等的前提下，回復兩岸對談。」

FAPA會長李青泰表示：「FAPA已於2月3日就此議題致函布希總統與萊斯國務卿，表達台美人對陳總統的支持，信函內容大致上與蓋瑞特議員的聲明相呼應。FAPA認為，美國對於台灣的前途一向是不預設立場，只要是透過民主、和平方式即可。台灣是美國在東亞的民主盟友，國務院的言論只會阻礙建設性的對話以及進一步強化台美關係的可能性。」

李青泰接著表示：「FAPA的信函裡也呼籲布希政府揚棄過時的一中政策;我們並且在信中就美國表示台灣前途必須獲得海峽兩岸人民同意這個政策提出質疑。FAPA試問布希總統，如果美國在爭取獨立建國時，有人提議美國的未來必須由大西洋兩岸的人民共同決定，今日的歷史會是如何呢？」　 

李青泰最後表示：「只有居住在台灣的二千三百萬人民才握有台灣前途的最終決定權。」