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109TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 76
Expressing
the sense of Congress that the United States should urge the
People’s Republic of China not to enact into law the so-called ‘‘antisecession’’
legislation with respect to Taiwan and should reaffirm its
unwavering commitment to Taiwan, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. MILLER of Florida submitted the
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on International Relations
Whereas
for over half a century a close relationship has existed between the
United States and Taiwan which has been of enormous economic,
cultural, and strategic advantage to both countries;
Whereas Taiwan today is a full-fledged
democracy with a vibrant economy and a vigorous multi-party
political system that respects human rights and the rule of law;
Whereas Taiwan is an ally of the United
States;
Whereas the Government of the People’s
Republic of China is currently considering enacting into law the
so-called ‘‘anti-secession’’ legislation with respect to Taiwan,
which is expected to codify in law China’s claim to sovereignty over
democratic Taiwan and China’s strong opposition to any move toward
formal independence by Taiwan;
Whereas the consideration by the
People’s Republic of China of the ‘‘anti-secession’’ legislation is
coming at a time when both China and Taiwan have taken conciliatory
steps toward each other, including the initiation of holiday charter
flights that began in late January 2005, which are the first nonstop
commercial air traffic across the Taiwan Strait in 55 years;
Whereas both China and Taiwan have
signaled they might be willing to restart talks relating to the
status of Taiwan;
Whereas a poll conducted by Taiwan’s
independent ERA Survey Research Center in late December 2004 found
that 58 percent of respondents believed that an ‘‘anti-secession’’
law is likely to increase cross-strait tension;
Whereas the People’s Republic of China
has failed to divulge the details of its ‘‘anti-secession’’
legislation, thus creating unnecessary tension between China Taiwan;
Whereas Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian
has suggested that in response to the enactment of the
‘‘anti-secession’’ law by the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan
might retaliate with its own ‘‘anti-annexation’’ law;
Whereas an ‘‘anti-secession’’ law of the
People’s Republic of China will destroy Taiwan’s hopes for peaceful
negotiations with China;
Whereas the People’s Republic of China
refuses to renounce the use of force against Taiwan;
Whereas the security of the 23,000,000
people in Taiwan is threatened by deployment by the People’s
Republic of China of over 400 short-range ballistic missiles
targeted at Taiwan and the purchase by China of advanced weaponry
systems, including Su-27 and Su-30 fighter planes, Kilo submarines,
and Sovremenny destroyers;
Whereas section 2(b)(4) of the Taiwan
Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301(b)(4)) considers ‘‘any effort to
determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means,
including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and
security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the
United States’’;
Whereas section 2(b)(6) of the Taiwan
Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301(b)(6)) requires the United States ‘‘to
maintain the capacity . . . to resist any resort to force or other
forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social
or economical system, of the people on Taiwan’’; Whereas the Taiwan
Relations Act (Public Law 96–8; 22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) provides
explicit guarantees that the United States will make available
defense articles and defense services necessary in such quantity as
may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient
self-defense capability;
Whereas President George W. Bush stated
on April 24, 2001, that the United States will do whatever it takes
to help Taiwan defend itself; and
Whereas the July 2002 Report to the
Congress of the United States–China Economic and Security Review
Commission stated that ‘‘China is enhancing its capability to carry
out attacks across the Taiwan Strait with its special operations
forces, air forces and navy and missiles forces with little
notice,’’ and ‘‘the Commission recommends that the U.S. along with
its allies should continue to call upon China to renounce the threat
of or the use of force against Taiwan’’:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of
Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That it is the sense of Congress that
(1) the Government of the United States
should urge the Government of the People’s Republic of China in the
strongest possible terms not to enact into law the so-called
‘‘anti-secession’’ legislation or any other legislation that
threatens Taiwan or in any way jeopardizes peace between China and
Taiwan;
(2) the President should seek from the
leaders of the People’s Republic of China an immediate and
unequivocal public renunciation of any use of force, or threat to
use force, against Taiwan;
(3) the Government of the United States
should continue to encourage a regional high-level dialogue on the
best means to ensure stability, peace, freedom of the seas, and
deterrence in East Asia;
(4) the Government of the United States
should reaffirm its unwavering commitment to the Taiwan Relations
Act (Public Law 96–8; 22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) as the cornerstone of
United States relations with Taiwan;
(5) the President should encourage
further dialogue between democratic Taiwan and the People’s Republic
of China;
(6) the future of Taiwan should be
determined peacefully and with the express consent of the people of
Taiwan; and
(7) the President should direct all
appropriate officials of the United States to raise these concerns
with the appropriate officials of the People’s Republic of China,
and should seek a public, immediate, and unequivocal renunciation
from the leaders of the People’s Republic of China of any threat or
use of force against Taiwan.
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