|
Mr.
Chen Shui-Bian
President-
Elect of Taiwan
C/o Stephen
Chen
Ambassador
Taipei
Economic and Cultural Office
4201 Wisconsin
Avenue, NW
Washington,
DC 20016
Dear Mr.
President-Elect:
We write
to congratulate you on your recent election as President and
the people of Taiwan for their historic vote to strengthen
democracy in Taiwan. The Taiwanese people should be praised
for their commitment to the democratic ideals of freedom and
human rights and for their dramatic voter turnout -- greater
than 80% of registered voters -- in the recent Presidential
election. Taiwan has truly emerged as a model for other developing
democracies to emulate.
As you
form your new government, there will be several important
issues that your Administration will undoubtedly have to address,
none greater than the future of relations with the People's
Republic of China. We hope that you will advocate for the
continuation of cross-strait dialogue with the government
of China that we believe will help reduce tensions in East
Asia. We are also extremely encouraged by your first public
comments following the election and your reference to "
a journey of reconciliation to China...with good intentions,
active cooperation and eternal peace."
A successful
cross-strait dialogue must also include cooperation from the
Chinese government. Unfortunately, recent statements issued
by the Chinese government threatening to use military force
against Taiwan if prolonged negotiations to reunify the two
entities are not successful are unacceptable. We will continue
to insist that Beijing renounce the use of force against Taiwan.
Taiwan should not be compelled to accept Beijing's "one
country, two systems" formulation that presupposes the
final results of any negotiations and is not in accordance
with the will of the Taiwanese people. The United States must
be willing to support the first democracy in 4,000 years of
Chinese history and help ensure that the future of Taiwan
will be determined by peaceful means.
We also
support expanding trade and economic relations between the
United States and Taiwan. Currently, Taiwan is the 7th largest
trading partner of the United States. We believe that Taiwan's
economic fortunes and those of the United States would be
greatly enhanced if Taiwan were able to join international
multilateral economic institutions, including the International
Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization. As the 14th
largest trading economy and the 7th largest amount of foreign
investment in the world, Taiwan deserves to play a role in
these major international economic institutions.
We are
also hopeful that your domestic policy agenda will include
measures to further liberalize Taiwan's economy. In the past
several years, Taiwan has shifted economic policies to address
outstanding trade issues with the United States. We are pleased
with your willingness to provide greater market access for
American goods and stronger measures to protect American copyrights
and other intellectual property rights.
Mr. President-elect,
as you begin your first term as President, we hope to reassure
you that we are committed to the security and prosperity of
the people of Taiwan. All Americans can truly appreciate the
steps taken by the people of Taiwan to strengthen their nation
for future generations. The peaceful transfer of power from
the ruling party to the opposition party completes Taiwan's
transformation to a true democracy. We know that you will
be a strong advocate for the people of Taiwan, and we welcome
the opportunity to work with you and to build even stronger
links between our two democracies.
Sincerely,
- Rep.
Robert Wexler
- Rep.
Sam Gejdenson
- Rep.
Tom Lantos
- Rep.
Alcee Hastings
- Rep.
Eni Faleomavaega
- Rep.
Michael Forbes
- Rep.
Vic Snyder
- Rep.
Donald Payne
- Rep.
Solomon Ortiz
- Rep.
Pete Sessions
- Rep.
Edolphus Towns
- Rep.
Peter Deutsch
- Rep.
Howard Berman
- Rep.
John Edward Porter
- Rep.
Karen McCarthy
- Rep.
Max Sandlin
- Rep.
Peter King
- Rep.
Michael McNulty
- Rep.
John Larson
- Rep.
Albert Wynn
- Rep.
Randy "Duke" Cunningham
- Rep.
Anna Eshoo
- Rep.
Elijah E. Cummings
- Rep.
Joe Crowley
- Rep.
Gary Ackerman
- Rep.
Ed Royce
- Rep.
Eliot Engel
- Rep.
Connie Morella
- Rep.
Joseph Hoeffel
- Rep.
Matthew Martinez
- Rep.
Nita Lowey
- Rep.
Sherrod Brown
- Rep.
Frank Pallone
- Rep.
Dana Rohrabacher
- Rep.
Martin Frost
- Rep.
John Thune
- Rep.
William Goodling
- Rep.
David Bonior
- Rep.
Nancy Pelosi
- Rep.
Shelly Berkley
|
