IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 53

Concerning the Taiwan Relations Act.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 11, 1999

Mr. ROHRABACHER (for himself, Mr. DELAY, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. LANTOS,

Mr. COX, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. BROWN OF OHIO, Mr. SMITH of

New Jersey, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. CHABOT, and Mr.

TANCREDO) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning the Taiwan Relations Act.

Whereas April 10, 1999, will mark the 20th anniversary of

the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act, codifying in

public law the basis for continued commercial, cultural,

and other relations between the United States and Taiwan;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act was advanced by Congress

and supported by the executive branch as a critical tool

to preserve and promote ties the American people have

enjoyed with the people of Taiwan;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act has been instrumental in

maintaining peace, security, and stability in the Taiwan

Strait since its enactment in 1979;
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Whereas when the Taiwan Relations Act was enacted in

1979, it affirmed that the United States decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of

China was based on the expectation that the future of

Taiwan would be determined by peaceful means;

Whereas officials of the People’s Republic of China refuse to

renounce the use of force against democratic Taiwan;

Whereas the recent accelerated defense modernization and

weapons procurement efforts by the People’s Republic of

China, as documented in the February 1, 1999, report by

the Secretary of Defense on ‘‘The Security Situation in

the Taiwan Strait’’, could threaten cross-strait stability

and United States interests in the Asia-Pacific region;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act provides explicit guarantees that the United States will make available defense

articles and services necessary in such quantity as may

be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient

self-defense capability;

Whereas section 3(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act requires

timely reviews by United States military authorities of

Taiwan’s defense needs in connection with recommendations to the President and the Congress;

Whereas Congress and the President are committed by Article 3(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act to determine the nature and quantity of Taiwan’s legitimate self-defense

needs;

Whereas the Republic of China on Taiwan routinely makes

informal requests to United States Government officials,

which are discouraged or declined informally by Department of Defense personnel;
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Whereas it is the policy of the United States to reject any

attempt to curb the provision by the United States of defense articles and services legitimately needed for Taiwan’s self-defense;

Whereas it is the current executive branch policy to bar most

high-level dialogue regarding regional stability with senior

military officials Taiwan;

Whereas it is the policy set forth in the Taiwan Relations Act

to promote extensive commercial relations between the

people of the United States and the people on Taiwan

and such commercial relations would be further enhanced

by Taiwan’s membership in the World Trade Organization;

Whereas the human rights provisions in the Taiwan Relations

Act helped stimulate the democratization of Taiwan;

Whereas Taiwan today is a full-fledged multi-party democracy fully respecting human rights and civil liberties and

serves as a successful model of democratic reform for the

People’s Republic of China;

Whereas it is United States policy to promote extensive cultural relations with Taiwan, ties that should be further

encouraged and expanded;

Whereas any attempt to determine Taiwan’s future by other

peaceful means, including boycotts or embargoes would

be considered a threat to the peace and security of the

Western Pacific and of grave concern to the United

States;

Whereas in the spirit of the Taiwan Relations Act, which encourages the future of democratic Taiwan to be determined by peaceful means, the government of Taiwan has

engaged the People’s Republic of China in a cross-strait
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dialogue by advocating that peaceful renification be based

on a democratic system of government being implemented

on the mainland; and

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act established the American

Institute on Taiwan (AIT) to carry out the programs,

transactions, and other relations conducted or carried out

by the United States Government with respect to Taiwan

and AIT should be recognized for the successful role it

has played in sustaining and enhancing United States relations with Taiwan: 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 United States should reaffirm its com4 mitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and the spe5 cific guarantees of provision of legitimate defense ar6 ticles to Taiwan contained therein;

7 (2) the Congress has grave concerns over Chi8 na’s growing arsenal of nuclear and conventionally

9 armed ballistic missiles, the movement of those mis10 siles into a closer geographic proximity to Taiwan,

11 and the effect that buildup may have on stability in

12 the Taiwan Strait;

13 (3) the President should direct all appropriate

14 officials to raise with officials from the People’s Re15 public of China our grave concern over China’s

16 growing arsenal of conventionally armed ballistic

17 missiles, the movement of those missiles into a closer
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1 geographic proximity to Taiwan, and the effect that

2 buildup may have on stability in the Taiwan Strait;

3 (4) the President should seek from leaders of

4 the People’s Republic of China a public renunciation

5 of any use of force, or threat to use force, against

6 Taiwan;

7 (5) the President should provide annually a re8 port detailing the military balance on both sides of

9 the Taiwan Strait, including the impact of procure10 ment and modernization programs underway;

11 (6) the Secretary of Defense should inform the

12 appropriate committees of Congress when officials

13 from Taiwan seek to purchase defense articles for

14 self-defense;

15 (7) the United States Government should en16 courage a high-level dialogue with officials from Tai17 wan and other United States allies in East Asia, in18 cluding Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, on

19 the best means to ensure stability, peace, freedom of

20 the seas, and deterrence in East Asia;

21 (8) the President should encourage progress in

22 the cross-strait dialogue between democratic Taiwan

23 and the People’s Republic of China based on Beijing

24 renouncing the use of force against Taiwan and real
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1 progress in a democratic system of government

2 being implemented on the mainland; and

3 (9) it should be United States policy in con4 formity with Article 4(d) of the Taiwan Relations

5 Act to publicly support Taiwan’s admission to the

6 World Trade Organization forthwith on its own mer7 its and encourage others to adopt similar policies,

8 without making such admission conditional on the

9 previous or simultaneous admission of the People’s

10 Republic of China to the World Trade Organization.

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