III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. CON. RES. 24 

Expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the recent passage of 

the anti-secession law by the National People’s Congress of the People’s 

Republic of China. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 20, 2005 

Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. 

KYL, Mr. BOND, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. COBURN, Mr. DORGAN, and Mr. 

SCHUMER) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the recent passage of the anti-secession law by the National 

People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China. 

Whereas, on December 9, 2003, President George W. Bush 

stated it is the policy of the United States to ‘‘oppose any 

unilateral decision, by either China or Taiwan, to change 

the status quo’’ in the region; 

Whereas, in the past few years, the United States Government has urged both Taiwan and the People’s Republic 

of China to maintain restraint; 

Whereas the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China passed an anti-secession law on March 
2 

•SCON 24 IS 

14, 2005, which constitutes a unilateral change to the 

status quo in the Taiwan Strait; 

Whereas the passage of China’s anti-secession law escalates 

tensions between Taiwan and the People’s Republic of 

China and is an impediment to cross-strait dialogue; 

Whereas the purpose of China’s anti-secession law is to create a legal framework for possible use of force against 

Taiwan and mandates Chinese military action under certain circumstances, including when ‘‘possibilities for a 

peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted’’; 

Whereas the Department of Defense’s Report on the Military 

Power of the People’s Republic of China for Fiscal Year 

2004 documents that, as of 2003, the Government of the 

People’s Republic of China had deployed approximately 

500 short-range ballistic missiles against Taiwan; 

Whereas the escalating arms buildup of missiles and other offensive weapons by the People’s Republic of China in 

areas adjacent to the Taiwan Strait is a threat to the 

peace and security of the Western Pacific area; 

Whereas, given the recent positive developments in crossstrait relations, including the Lunar New Year charter 

flights and new proposals for cross-strait exchanges, it is 

particularly unfortunate that the National People’s Congress adopted this legislation; 

Whereas, since its enactment in 1979, the Taiwan Relations 

Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), which codified in law the 

basis for continued commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of the United States and the 

people of Taiwan, has been instrumental in maintaining 

peace, security, and stability in the Taiwan Strait; 
3 

•SCON 24 IS 

Whereas section 2(b)(2) of the Taiwan Relations Act declares 

that ‘‘peace and stability in the area are in the political, 

security, and economic interests of the United States, 

and are matters of international concern’’; 

Whereas, at the time the Taiwan Relations Act was enacted 

into law, section 2(b)(3) of such Act made clear that the 

United States decision to establish diplomatic relations 

with the People’s Republic of China rested upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan would be determined 

by peaceful means; 

Whereas section 2(b)(4) of the Taiwan Relations Act declares 

it the policy of the United States ‘‘to consider 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 section 2(b)(6) of the Taiwan Relations Act declares 

it the policy of the United States ‘‘to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or 

other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on 

Taiwan’’; and 

Whereas any attempt to determine Taiwan’s future by other 

than peaceful means and other than with the express 

consent of the people of Taiwan would be considered of 

grave concern to the United States: 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 anti-secession law of the People’s Re4 public of China provides a legal justification for the 
4 

•SCON 24 IS 

1 use of force against Taiwan, altering the status quo 

2 in the region, and thus is of grave concern to the 

3 United States; 

4 (2) the President should direct all appropriate 

5 officials of the United States Government to convey 

6 to their counterpart officials in the Government of 

7 the People’s Republic of China the grave concern 

8 with which the United States views the passage of 

9 China’s anti-secession law in particular, and the 

10 growing Chinese military threats to Taiwan in gen11 eral; 

12 (3) the United States Government should reaf13 firm its policy that the future of Taiwan should be 

14 resolved by peaceful means and with the consent of 

15 the people of Taiwan; and 

16 (4) the United States Government should con17 tinue to encourage dialogue between Taiwan and the 

18 People’s Republic of China. 

Æ