III

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 148

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 20, 1996

Received

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States

is committed to military stability in the Taiwan Strait

and the United States should assist in defending the

Republic of China (also known as Taiwan) in the event

of invasion, missile attack, or blockade by the People’s

Republic of China.

Whereas the United States began its long, peaceful, and

friendly relationship with the Republic of China on Taiwan in 1949;

Whereas since the enactment in 1979 of the Taiwan Relations Act, the policy of the United States has been based

on the expectation that the future relationship between

the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan will be deter-
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mined by peaceful means and by mutual agreement between the parties;

Whereas the People’s Republic of China’s intense efforts to

intimidate Taiwan have reached a level that threatens to

undermine stability throughout the region;

Whereas, since the beginning of 1996, the leaders of the People’s Republic of China have frequently threatened to use

military force against Taiwan;

Whereas for the past year the People’s Republic of China has

conducted military maneuvers designed to intimidate Taiwan both during its democratic legislative elections in

1995 and during the period preceding democratic presidential elections in March 1996;

Whereas these military maneuvers and tests have included

the firing of 6 nuclear-capable missiles approximately 100

miles north of Taiwan in July 1995;

Whereas the firing of missiles near Taiwan and the interruption of international shipping and aviation lanes threaten

both Taiwan and the political, military, and commercial

interests of the United States and its allies;

Whereas in the face of such action, Taiwan is entitled to defend itself from military aggression, including through

the development of an anti-ballistic missile defense system;

Whereas the United States and Taiwan have enjoyed a longstanding and uninterrupted friendship, which has only increased in light of the remarkable economic development

and political liberalization in Taiwan in recent years;

Whereas Taiwan has achieved tremendous economic success

in becoming the 19th largest economy in the world;
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Whereas Taiwan has reached a historic turning point in the

development of Chinese democracy, as on March 23,

1996, it will conduct the first competitive, free, fair, direct, and popular election of a head of state in over 4,000

years of recorded Chinese history;

Whereas for the past century the United States has promoted

democracy and economic freedom around the world, and

the evolution of Taiwan is an outstanding example of the

success of that policy;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act directs the President to

inform the Congress promptly of any threat to Taiwan’s

security and provides that the President and the Congress shall determine, in accordance with constitutional

processes, appropriate United States action in response;

and

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 rests on the

premise that the United States will assist Taiwan should

it face any effort to determine its future by other than

peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes:

Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the People’s Republic of China should im4 mediately live up to its commitment to the United

5 States to work for a peaceful resolution of any dis6 agreements with Taiwan, and accordingly desist

7 from military actions designed to intimidate Taiwan;

8 (2) the People’s Republic of China should en9 gage in negotiations to discuss any outstanding
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1 points of disagreement with Taiwan without any

2 threat of military or economic coercion against Tai3 wan;

4 (3) Taiwan has stated and should adhere to its

5 commitment to negotiate its future relations with

6 the People’s Republic of China by mutual decision,

7 not unilateral action;

8 (4) the United States should maintain its ca9 pacity to resist any resort to force or other forms of

10 coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the

11 social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan,

12 consistent with its undertakings in the Taiwan Rela13 tions Act;

14 (5) the United States should maintain a naval

15 presence sufficient to keep open the sea lanes in and

16 near the Taiwan Strait;

17 (6) in the face of the several overt military

18 threats by the People’s Republic of China against

19 Taiwan, and consistent with the commitment of the

20 United States under the Taiwan Relations Act, the

21 United States should supply Taiwan with defensive

22 weapons systems, including naval vessels, aircraft,

23 and air defense, all of which are crucial to the secu24 rity of Taiwan; and
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1 (7) the United States, in accordance with the

2 Taiwan Relations Act and the constitutional process

3 of the United States, and consistent with its friend4 ship with and commitment to the democratic govern5 ment and people of Taiwan, should assist in defend6 ing them against invasion, missile attack, or block7 ade by the People’s Republic of China.

Passed the House of Representatives March 19,

1996.

Attest: ROBIN H. CARLE,

Clerk.