III

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 43

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding proposed missile tests by the

People’s Republic of China.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 6, 1996

Mr. THOMAS (for himself, Mr. HELMS, Mr. MURKOWSKI, Mr. SIMON, and Mr.

MACK) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred

to the Committee on Foreign Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding proposed missile

tests by the People’s Republic of China.

Whereas the People’s Republic of China, in a clear attempt

to intimidate the people and Government of Taiwan, has

over the past 8 months conducted a series of military exercises, including missile tests, within alarmingly close

proximity to Taiwan;

Whereas on March 5, 1996, the Xinhua News Agency announced that the People’s Republic of China will conduct

missile tests from March 8 through March 15, 1996,

within 25 to 35 miles of the 2 principal northern and

southern ports of Taiwan, Kaohsiung and Keelung;

Whereas the proximity of these tests to the ports and the accompanying warnings for ships and aircraft to avoid the
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test areas will result in the effective blockading of the

ports, and the probable disruption of international shipping, for the duration of the tests;

Whereas these tests are a clear escalation of the attempts by

the People’s Republic of China to intimidate Taiwan and

influence the outcome of the upcoming democratic presidential election in Taiwan;

Whereas the decision of the United States to establish diplomatic relations with the Peoples’ Republic of China rested upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan would

be settled solely by peaceful means;

Whereas the strong interest of the United States in the

peaceful settlement of the Taiwan question is one of the

central premises of the three United States-China Joint

Communique ́s and was codified in the Taiwan Relations

Act;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act states that peace and stability in the western Pacific ‘‘are in the political, security,

and economic interests of the United States, and are

matters of international concern’’;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act states that the United

States considers ‘‘any effort to determine the future of

Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts, or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security

of the western Pacific area and of grave concern to the

United States’’;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act directs the President to

‘‘inform Congress promptly of any threat to the security

or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan

and any danger to the interests of the United States arising therefrom’’;
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Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act further directs that ‘‘the

President and the Congress shall determine, in accordance with constitutional process, appropriate action by

the United States in response to any such danger’’;

Whereas the United States, the People’s Republic of China,

and the Government of Taiwan have each previously expressed their commitment to the resolution of the Taiwan

question through peaceful means; and

Whereas these missile tests and accompanying statements

made by the Government of the People’s Republic of

China call into serious question the commitment of China

to the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question: Now,

therefore, be it

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 deplores the missile tests

4 that the People’s Republic of China will conduct

5 from March 8 through March 15, 1996, and views

6 them as a threat to the peace, security, and stability

7 of Taiwan and not in the spirit of the three United

8 States-China Joint Communique ́s;

9 (2) the Government of the People’s Republic of

10 China should cease its bellicose actions directed at

11 Taiwan and instead enter into meaningful dialogue

12 with the Government of Taiwan at the highest levels,

13 such as through the Straits Exchange Foundation in

14 Taiwan and the Association for Relations Across the

15 Taiwan Straits in Beijing, with an eye towards de-
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1 creasing tensions and resolving the issue of the fu2 ture of Taiwan;

3 (3) the President, consistent with section 3(c)

4 of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3302(c)),

5 should immediately consult with Congress on an ap6 propriate United States response to the tests; and

7 (4) the President should, consistent with the

8 Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), re9 examine the nature and quantity of defense articles

10 and services that may be necessary to enable Taiwan

11 to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability in

12 light of the heightened threat.

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