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United
States Senate
Washington,
DC 20510
May
17, 2004
President
Chen Shui-bian
c/o
Representative C.J. (Chien-jen) Chen
Taipei
Economic and Cultural Representative Office
4201
Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.
Washington,
DC 20016
Dear
President Chen:
We
write to congratulate you on your inauguration as the President of
the Republic of China on Taiwan this May 20th. On this happy
occasion, we extend to you and the 23 million people of Taiwan our
heartfelt best wishes.
Over
the years, the people of Taiwan have built a stable and vibrant
democracy. This accomplishment, along with our shared attachment to
freedom, justice and human rights, have helped to establish a deep
and enduring bond between the United States and Taiwan. Under your
leadership, we believe Taiwan's democracy will continue to grow even
stronger. We also look forward to working closely with you and your
administration to further strengthen the mutually beneficial
economic and trade ties between us. The Senate has recently passed a
bill to support Taiwan's participation in the World Health
Organization. We are hopeful that your endeavors on this front will
be successful during your next term.
Mr.
President, a month ago we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the
Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) on Capitol Hill. The TRA has served as
the cornerstone of U.s.-Taiwan relations by preserving peace and
stability in the Taiwan Strait during the last quarter century. It
is our intention to fully uphold the TRA, and we hope to see that
issues between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China (PRC) are
peacefully resolved. We are encouraged by your recent statements
about your desire to seek a genuine dialogue with the PRC, and your
goodwill in proposing a framework for peace and stability in
cross-strait interactions. We are confident that Taiwan will
continue to play a responsible role in the international community
and contribute to peace and stability throughout the world.
Again,
congratulations and best wishes,
Sincerely,
George
Allen
(R-VA)
John Ensign (R-NV)
Jeff
Bingaman
(D-MN)
Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Christopher
S. Bond
(R-MO)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Saxby
Chambliss
(R-GA)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Michael
Crapo
(R-ID)
Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)
Larry
Craig
(R-ID)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
Byron
Dorgan
(D-ND)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Jeff
Sessions (R-AL)
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