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“THE UNITED STATES MUST STAND WITH TAIWAN” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1790-E1791 on Sept. 14, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE UNITED STATES MUST STAND WITH TAIWAN
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HON. PETER T. KING
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, September 14, 1995
Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, the Clinton administration's decision to have the First Lady attend the Women's Conference in Beijing would be troubling enough under any circumstances. Not only does China's Communist Government routinely trample the human rights of all its citizens--male and female--it also felt compelled to execute 16 political dissidents in preparation for this conference. Very simply, the administration has allowed itself to be maneuvered into providing the veneer of moral respectability to an outlaw regime such as the People's Republic of China [PRC].
Even more troubling, however, is the doubt which this decision casts on the willingness of the United States to resist mainland China's increasingly aggressive actions against Taiwan. The Republic of China fought side by side with the United States in World War II and continued to be a loyal ally of the United States after Chiang Kai-shek evacuated his forces from the Chinese mainland and moved the Government of the Republic of China to Taiwan in 1949. It has also become a free-
market economic powerhouse. Taiwan is the United States' seventh largest trading partner, has more than $80 billion in foreign exchange reserves and, even though its population is 50 times smaller, has a GDP comparable to mainland China's. Taiwan also has strong defense forces, lacking only sophisticated fighter jets and anti-missile systems.
Taiwan's greatest achievement, however, has been its attainment of an open, democratic society. For years Taiwan had a closed political system. Martial law was lifted in 1987, however, and Taiwan now has a robust political system, with a particularly combative National Assembly. In March 1996 the President, heretofore elected by the legislature, will be elected by popular vote. This will mark the first time in the history of China that a President has been democratically elected.
Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, Taiwan's economic might and its embrace of democracy have enraged the PRC which has reacted aggressively. Economically, for instance, the PRC has been able to delay Taiwan's admission into GATT. Diplomatically, the People's Republic insisted that the United States not allow Taiwan's President Lee Teng-hui to enter our country, even on a private visit. True to form, earlier this year the State Department capitulated and denied President Lee's request to visit his alma mater, Cornell University. Fortunately, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly adopted a resolution supporting President Lee's visit and President Clinton overruled the State Department, granting President Lee a visa to speak at Cornell this past June.
The PRC's response to President Lee's visit has bordered on the hysterical. Besides recalling its Ambassador from the United States and unleashing vicious propaganda tirades against President Lee, the PRC has conducted provocative military exercises off Taiwan's coast, including test-firing missiles in the East China Sea just 80 miles north of Taiwan. The PRC is planning further missile testing and naval maneuvers near Taiwan.
Clearly the PRC is attempting to use the threat of invasion to intimidate the people of Taiwan into rejecting President Lee and adopting a docile foreign policy. If the PRC is successful in carrying out this extortion and subverting the democratic process in Taiwan, the United States will only be encouraging further PRC aggression in the region against Japan and the Philippines and we will be severely marginalized as a Pacific power. In short we will have allowed the PRC to establish Asian hegemony. To avert this moral and diplomatic catastrophe, the administration must: First, make it clear that any military action against Taiwan will result in a worldwide embargo and diplomatic isolation of the PRC; second, expeditiously complete the delivery of the 150 F-16 fighter jets already purchased by Taiwan; third, provide anti-missile systems to Taiwan; and fourth, reinforce our policy of granting visas to Taiwan's elected officials. Additionally, the Congress should promptly adopt House Concurrent Resolution 63 introduced by Representative Gerald Solomon which would urge Taiwan's admission into the United Nations. The bottom line of America's China policy must be the recognition that the PRC needs us more than we need them. As President Nixon said shortly before his death ``the Chinese will not launch a military attack against Taiwan as long as Beijing knows such an action would jeopardize their relationship with the United States.''
Last month I had the opportunity to meet with President Lee in Taiwan. He is an impressive leader who is clearly committed to democratic principles. As the world's leading democracy, the United States must stand with democratic nations in their time of peril. By standing with the Republic of China on Taiwan at this time, the United States will be acting in our best traditions and strengthening the cause of peace and stability in the Pacific.
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