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[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 446 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 446

Commending the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for its resolve 
 in increasing ties with Taiwan and supporting its firm stance against 
                coercion by the Chinese Communist Party.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 4, 2021

   Mr. Risch (for himself and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Commending the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for its resolve 
 in increasing ties with Taiwan and supporting its firm stance against 
                coercion by the Chinese Communist Party.

Whereas, on May 20, 2021, the parliament of Lithuania passed a resolution in 
        which it recognized the People's Republic of China's treatment of the 
        Uyghurs and members of Muslim and minority communities in Xinjiang 
        region as a genocide, called upon the United Nations to investigate the 
        People's Republic of China's internment camps for Uyghurs, and asked the 
        European Commission to review its relationship with the People's 
        Republic of China;
Whereas, on May 21, 2021, Lithuania withdrew from the 17+1 format that 
        facilitates collaboration between Central and Eastern European nations 
        and the People's Republic of China;
Whereas the 17+1 was designed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to both 
        create business and cultural exchange opportunities for the People's 
        Republic of China, and to divide European nations on sub-regional issues 
        regarding the People's Republic of China;
Whereas, on June 22, 2021, the Government of Lithuania announced its donation of 
        20,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan after the People's Republic of China 
        blocked Taiwan from participation in the world-wide COVAX vaccine 
        sharing scheme;
Whereas, on July 20, 2021, the Government of Lithuania announced the 
        establishment of exchange offices with Taiwan under the name of the 
        Taiwanese Representative Office;
Whereas the CCP has aggressively punished other organizations and nations for 
        using the name ``Taiwan'' to refer to the island, rather than referring 
        to it by the CCP preferred ``Chinese Taipei'', a practice by which the 
        CCP seeks to force other nations to conform to its view that Taiwan is a 
        part of China;
Whereas, in retaliation to the Government of Lithuania's announcement of the 
        Taiwanese Representative Office, the CCP implemented severe economic 
        restrictions on Lithuania;
Whereas, on August 10, 2021, the Government of the People's Republic of China 
        protested the announcement of the new Lithuanian office in Taiwan by 
        recalling its ambassador to Vilnius, and demanding that Lithuania remove 
        its ambassador from Beijing;
Whereas, on September 4, 2021, Lithuania's Ambassador to China, Diana 
        Mickeviciene, returned to Vilnius;
Whereas Lithuania's European neighbors and European Union (EU) leaders have 
        commended Lithuania's bravery and have expressed willingness to stand in 
        solidarity with Lithuania's decision, including by issuing a joint 
        letter from European Parliament members on September 3, 2021;
Whereas, on September 15, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the 
        United States commitment to Lithuania, stating, ``Lithuania and the 
        United States are very strong partners in NATO. We stand together for 
        collective defense and security. We stand against economic coercion, 
        including that being exerted by China.'';
Whereas, on September 21, 2021, the Ministry of National Defence in Lithuania 
        recommended that citizens not purchase phones manufactured in the 
        People's Republic of China and throw away their existing phones, after 
        evidence emerged that the devices have censorship technology built in;
Whereas, on September 22, 2021, the Government of Lithuania announced an 
        additional vaccine donation to Taiwan totaling 235,900 doses;
Whereas the People's Republic of China has engaged in economic coercion to 
        punish countries that do not do as the CCP wishes, including by banning 
        the import of Australian wine and agricultural products after the 
        Government of Australia supported launching an international 
        investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, closing South 
        Korean department stores and tourism after the Republic of Korea 
        deployed the United States Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile 
        battery, restricting imports from the Philippines after that nation 
        protested the People's Republic of China's assertive and unlawful 
        actions in Scarborough Shoal, and cutting the imports of Norwegian 
        salmon after Norway awarded a Chinese dissident with the Nobel Prize;
Whereas the CCP regularly uses its economic power to pressure Taiwan's 
        diplomatic allies to cut ties with the island and instead diplomatically 
        recognize the People's Republic of China, as it did most recently with 
        the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, leaving Taiwan with just 15 diplomatic 
        allies; and
Whereas the CCP has repeatedly and continuously barred Taiwan from meaningful 
        participation in key international organizations such as the World 
        Health Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, and 
        other United Nations organizations and affiliated mechanisms in an 
        attempt to diplomatically isolate Taiwan: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the Government of Lithuania for its decision 
        to deepen ties with Taiwan and standing up to the Chinese 
        Communist Party's unfair coercion and pressure;
            (2) commits to supporting Lithuania and Taiwan in the face 
        of these challenges, including by exploring ways to increase 
        economic cooperation with both countries;
            (3) encourages European allies to continue to stand in 
        solidarity with Lithuania against aggression from the 
        Government of the People's Republic of China;
            (4) encourages the Lithuanian business community to 
        continue to seek opportunities for investment and growth with 
        reliable partners outside of the People's Republic of China's 
        abusive economic system;
            (5) expresses concern with the CCP's aggressive actions and 
        attempts to influence bilateral relations between governments 
        attempting to build positive ties with Taiwan, a beacon of 
        democracy in the Indo-Pacific and a key United States partner; 
        and
            (6) supports Taiwan in its struggle against CCP malign 
        influence, coercion, and aggression, which threatens not only 
        the Taiwanese people and countries in the Indo-Pacific, but 
        also any nation around the world that enacts policies or 
        positions that are inconsistent with those of the CCP.
                                 <all>
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