```

[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 272 Introduced in House (IH)]

106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 272

  Commending the people of Taiwan for reaffirming, in their upcoming 
presidential elections, their dedication to democratic ideals, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 9, 2000

  Mr. Deutsch (for himself, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Baker, Mr. 
Berman, Mrs. Bono, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Cannon, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Diaz-
   Balart, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. 
    Hoeffel, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. King, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. McIntosh, Mr. 
   McNulty, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Payne, Mr. Rogan, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. 
Royce, Mr. Sandlin, Mr. Schaffer, Mr. Stark, Mr. Tancredo, Mr. Wexler, 
and Mr. Wynn) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
  Commending the people of Taiwan for reaffirming, in their upcoming 
presidential elections, their dedication to democratic ideals, and for 
                            other purposes.

Whereas in recent years, Taiwan has undergone a major political transformation 
        and Taiwan is today a true multiparty democracy with a political system 
        separate from and totally unlike that of the People's Republic of China;
Whereas the Government of Taiwan no longer claims to be the Government of China;
Whereas since 1979, the United States Government has insisted that the ultimate 
        status of Taiwan must have the express consent of the people of Taiwan 
        and must be decided by peaceful means;
Whereas United States interests are served by supporting democracy around the 
        world;
Whereas the centerpiece of Taiwan's democracy is its system of competitive and 
        free elections;
Whereas Taiwan is a democracy with its second direct presidential elections 
        scheduled for March 18, 2000;
Whereas this election will only be the latest example of Taiwan's commitment to 
        the democratic ideals of freedom and pluralism, values that it shares 
        with the United States;
Whereas in March 1996, the political leadership of the People's Republic of 
        China used provocative military maneuvers, including missile launch 
        exercises in the Taiwan Strait, in an attempt to intimidate the people 
        of Taiwan during their first-ever free and democratic presidential 
        elections;
Whereas peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait area are in the political, 
        security, and economic interests of the United States and are of 
        international concern as specified in the Taiwan Relations Act (22 
        U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), signed into law in 1979; and
Whereas the People's Republic of China has threatened to use force against 
        Taiwan at various times, as most recently manifested in the Chinese 
        Policy Paper of February 21, 2000, and continues to refuse to renounce 
        the use of force against Taiwan: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That--
            (1) the Congress commends the people of Taiwan for--
                    (A) having established a democracy on Taiwan over 
                the past decades and for repeatedly reaffirming their 
                dedication to democratic ideals; and
                    (B) carrying out the second free, fair and 
                democratic direct presidential election in Taiwan's 
                history in March 2000; and
            (2) that it is the sense of the Congress that--
                    (A) it is the right of the people of Taiwan to 
                freely elect their President without any interference 
                from the People's Republic of China;
                    (B) the ultimate status of Taiwan must have the 
                express consent of the people of Taiwan and must be 
                decided by peaceful means; and
            (3) the United States looks forward to working with the 
        next democratically elected President of Taiwan.
                                 <all>
```