106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. CON. RES. 17

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

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 democratic Republic of China on Taiwan;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act was advanced by Congress

and supported by the executive branch as a critical tool

to preserve and promote extensive, close, and friendly

commercial, cultural, and other relations between the

United States and Taiwan;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act has been instrumental in

maintaining peace, security, and stability in the Taiwan

Strait since its enactment in 1979;

Whereas when the Taiwan Relations Act was enacted, it reaffirmed that the United States decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China is

based upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will

be determined by peaceful means;

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

renounce the use of force against Taiwan;

Whereas the 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 De-
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fense on ‘‘The Security Situation in the Taiwan Strait’’,

could threaten cross-strait and East Asian stability and

United States interests in the East Asia region;

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

articles and defense services in such quantities as may be

necessary for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense

capability;

Whereas 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 Congress;

Whereas Congress and the President are committed by section 3(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C.

3302(b)) to determine the nature and quantity of what

Taiwan’s legitimate needs are for its self-defense;

Whereas Taiwan routinely makes informal requests for defense articles and defense services to United States Government officials, which are discouraged or declined informally by United States Government personnel;

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 defense services legitimately needed for

Taiwan’s self-defense;

Whereas it is the current executive branch policy to limit

most high-level dialog regarding regional stability with

Taiwan senior military officials;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act sets forth the policy to

promote extensive commercial relations between the people of the United States and the people on Taiwan, and
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that policy is advanced by membership in the World

Trade Organization;

Whereas Taiwan completed its bilateral market access negotiations with the United States on February 20, 1998,

and all countries which asked to negotiate bilateral agreements with Taiwan have concluded those agreements, although Canada has reopened negotiations on certain

products;

Whereas the human rights provisions in the Taiwan Relations

Act helped stimulate the democratization of Taiwan;

Whereas Taiwan today is a full-fledged, multiparty democracy that fully respects human rights and civil liberties

and, as such, serves as a successful model of democratic

reform for the People’s Republic of China;

Whereas it is the policy of the United States to promote extensive cultural relations between the United States and

Taiwan, ties that should be further encouraged and expanded;

Whereas any attempt to determine Taiwan’s future by other

than peaceful means, including boycotts or embargoes,

would be considered as a threat to the peace and security

of the Western Pacific and of grave concern to the

United States;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act established the American

Institute in Taiwan to carry out the programs, transactions, and other relations of the United States with respect to Taiwan; and

Whereas the American Institute in Taiwan has played a successful role in sustaining and enhancing United States

relations with Taiwan: Now, therefore, be it
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1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives

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 adjacent to Taiwan, and the

10 effect that the buildup may have on stability in the

11 Taiwan Strait, and United States government offi12 cials should continue to raise these concerns with of13 ficials of the People’s Republic of China;

14 (3) the President should seek from the leaders

15 of the People’s Republic of China a public renunci16 ation of any use of force, or threat to use force,

17 against democratic Taiwan;

18 (4) the President should provide annually a re19 port detailing the military balance on both sides of

20 the Taiwan Strait, including the impact of procure21 ment and modernization programs underway;

22 (5) the Secretary of Defense should make avail23 able to the appropriate committees of Congress the

24 annual military requirements list submitted by Tai25 wan;
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1 (6) it should be United States policy to encour2 age the participation of Taiwan in a high-level re3 gional dialog on the best means of ensuring stability,

4 peace, and freedom of the seas in East Asia; and

5 (7) it should be United States policy, in con6 formity with the spirit of section 4(d) of the Taiwan

7 Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3303(d)), to publicly sup8 port Taiwan’s admission to the World Trade Organi9 zation forthwith, on its own merits, and consistent

10 with the bilateral market access agreement with the

11 United States.

Passed the Senate April 12, 1999.

Attest:

Secretary.
106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. CON. RES. 17

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning the 20th Anniversary of the Taiwan

Relations Act.