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H.CON.RES.221
Mr. Wexler
(for himself and Reps. Tom Tancredo, Mike McNulty, Bob Stump,
Patrick Kennedy, Pete Sessions, Steve Chabot, Al Wynn, Robert
Andrews, David Wu, Curt Weldon, Peter Deutsch and Sherrod
Brown) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on International Relations
Expressing
the sense of the Congress that it is United States policy
that the future of Taiwan should be resolved peacefully, through
a democratic mechanism, with the express consent of the people
of Taiwan and free from outside threats, intimidation or interference
Whereas
September 8, 2001, marks the 50th anniversary of
the San Francisco Peace Treaty (SFPT);
Whereas
in the SFPT, Japan renounced all right, title and claim to
Taiwan;
Whereas
the signatories of the treaty left the status of Taiwan undetermined;
Whereas
the universal principle of self-determination is enshrined
in Article 1 of the United Nations Charter;
Whereas
the United States is a signatory of the United Nations Charter;
Whereas
the United States recognizes and supports that a right to
self-determination exists as a fundamental right of all peoples,
as set forth in numerous United Nations instruments;
Whereas
the people of Taiwan are committed to the principles of freedom,
justice, and democracy as evidenced by the March 18, 2000
election of Mr. Chen Shui-bian as Taiwan’s President;
Whereas
in international law, the 1993 Montevideo Convention on Rights
and Duties of States defines the qualifications of a nation-state
as: a defined territory, a permanent population and a government
capable of entering into relations with other states;
Whereas
on February 24, 2000 and March 8, 2000 President Clinton stated:
"We will […] continue to make absolutely clear that the
issues between Beijing and Taiwan must be resolved peacefully
and with the assent of the people of Taiwan;"
Whereas
both the 2000 Republican party platform and the Democratic
party platform emphasized and made clear the belief that the
future of Taiwan should be determined with the consent of
the people of Taiwan;
Whereas
on February 1, 2000, the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act was
passed overwhelmingly by the U.S. House of Representatives
of which Section 2(4) states, "Any determination of the
ultimate status of Taiwan must have the express consent of
the people on Taiwan;"
Whereas
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in a Senate
Foreign Relations Committee hearing on March 16, 2001, that
"What has changed is that any eventual agreement that
is arrived at has to be acceptable to the majority of the
people on Taiwan;"
Whereas
in April 2001 President George W. Bush stated that the United
States will help Taiwan defend herself if attacked by China;
Now therefore,
be it resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that –
1. It
is United States policy that the future of Taiwan should be
resolved peacefully, through a democratic mechanism such as
a plebiscite and with the express consent of the people of
Taiwan;
2. It
is United States policy that Taiwan’s future must be decided
by the people of Taiwan without outside threats, intimidation
or interference.
For more
information, call: the Formosan Association for Public Affairs
(FAPA) at (202) 547-3686
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