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United States
Congress
Washington, DC
20515
December
5, 2003
Dear
Secretary Powell:
We
want to thank you for your strong leadership in light of the many
foreign policy challenges facing America across the globe --
including fighting the war on terrorism, combating the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction and promoting the expansion of global
democracy. We stand with you during these difficult times as you
work with our allies to promote democracy, freedom and the rule of
law. The United States can only achieve these goals with the aid and
support of those nations that share our ideals and beliefs, such as
Taiwan. It is in this vein that we remain deeply concerned that the
State Department may announce officially its opposition to Taiwan's
independence during the upcoming visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
As
strong supporters of US-Taiwan relations, we strongly oppose a
statement of opposition to Taiwan's independence by the Bush
Administration, which would effectively change our nation's
long-standing policy toward our ally, Taiwan. As you know, in 1982
the United States made six assurances to the government of Taiwan.
One of the assurances was that the United States would not alter its
position about the sovereignty of Taiwan. This position stated that
the question was one to be decided peacefully by the Chinese
themselves and would not pressure Taiwan to enter into negotiations
with China. As President Bush meets with Premier Wen, it is critical
that the One China Principle -- which has been the bedrock of
US-Taiwan relations for over thirty years -- not be altered or
changed to affect the status quo in the Taiwan Straits at this time.
For
over fifty years, the United States has stood unequivocally with the
people of Taiwan as they have transformed their nation into a
shining example of democracy. We join President Bush in praising the
expansion of democratic ideals in Taiwan and share in the sentiment
expressed in his November 6 speech before the National Endowment for
Democracy. For this reason, we strongly urge the Bush Administration
to refrain from announcing its opposition to Taiwan's independence
and reaffirm its iron-clad commitment to the security and future of
the people of Taiwan.
Again,
thank you for time and attention to this very important matter. We
look forward to working with you to strengthen our friendship with
Taiwan and further promote democracy and rule of law in East Asia.
Sincerely,
Congressman
Steve Chabot
Congressman
Robert Wexler
Congressman
Sherrod Brown
Congressman
Dana Rohrabacher
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