In the following April 26 statement, Senator Helms questions the U.S. right to tell Taiwan not to declare independence, because: A Taiwan is, after all, a democracy; as a revolutionary nation ourselves, the U.S. has little moral authority to foreclose that option to the 23 million free people who live in Taiwan.@ Senator Helms issued the statement after President Bush= made clear that the U.S. would come to Taiwan=s defense in case of a Chinese attack.

Helms Supports Bush Comments on Taiwan

April 26

"President Bush was both correct and honest in making clear that the United States would come to Taiwan's defense, and in having mercifully liberated us from the outdated notion of 'strategic ambiguity.'

"With China relentlessly building up its military while placing a higher priority than ever before on absorbing Taiwan, it is dangerous to continue to send mere ambiguous signals about the resolve of the U.S. to defend Taiwan. Fuzzy, meaningless comments about the resolve and the intentions of the United States invites miscalculation by China, clearly a potential aggressor. Surely the United States learned the peril of being ambiguous in the summer of 1990. We must not make that mistake again.

"The only ambiguity that remains useful is the one regarding Taiwan's status. The United States should neither support nor oppose independence for Taiwan. While a declaration of independence by Taiwan would be suicidal and must not be encouraged, Taiwan is, after all, a democracy; as a revolutionary nation ourselves, the U.S. has little moral authority to foreclose that option to the 23 million free people who live in Taiwan."