Mr.
CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House
Congressional Resolution 390, which acknowledges Taiwan's
efforts to become an active member of United Nations.
Taiwan's commitment to democratic domestic policies,
efforts to engage international organizations, and desire
to formalize its role in the international community
should no longer be overlooked by the Administration.
Driven
out of the UN in 1971, Taiwan has tried to gain readmission
since 1993. Unfortunately, those efforts have been stymied
because of obstruction by the People's Republic of China.
The PRC, one of the five permanent Security Council
members which determines new UN membership, has threatened
to veto Taiwan's application for membership if it ever
reaches the Security Council.
Taiwan's
exclusion is contrary to the single most important purpose
of the UN, namely the maintenance of international peace
and security. For the past decade, Taiwan, now under
President Chen Shui-bian, has denounced the past policy
of recovering mainland China by force and striven for
peaceful coexistence with the PRC. It is the PRC that
has resorted to the use of force, as occurred in 1995
and 1996.
While
Taiwan should be accepted in its own right into the
UN, the efforts by China to isolate the country it deems
a `renegade province' increase the urgency of moving
to approve Taiwan's admission into that international
body. Not only will that provide access to the UN Security
Council and discourage future Chinese provocations,
but it will shift the responsibility for Taiwan's security
from a solely U.S. responsibility to that of the larger
international community.
I
hope that with the passage of House Resolution 390 that
Taiwan's vigilance for independence, ardent trust in
America as an ally and recognition by the international
community will be realized. It is important that we
make a place at the international table for all supporters
of democracy.
