IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 481
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding high level visits by democratically 
elected officials of Taiwan to the United States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 22, 2004
Mr. CHABOT (for himself and Mr. BROWN of Ohio) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Inter-
national Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding high level visits 
by democratically elected officials of Taiwan to the 
United States.
Whereas Taiwan is the seventh largest trading partner of the 
United States and plays an important role in the econ-
omy of the Asia-Pacific region; 
Whereas Taiwan routinely holds free and fair elections in a 
multiparty system, and on March 20, 2004, held its third 
democratic presidential election, in which Chen Shui-bian 
was re-elected as president of the 23,000,000 people of 
Taiwan; 
Whereas Members of Congress, unlike executive branch offi-
cials, have long had the freedom to meet with leaders of 
governments with which the United States does not have
•HCON 481 IH 
formal relations, and these meetings provide a vital op-
portunity to discuss issues of mutual concern that di-
rectly affect United States national interests; 
Whereas the United States has acquiesced for more than two 
decades to demands made by the People’s Republic of 
China to bar the president, vice president, foreign min-
ister, and defense minister of Taiwan from coming to the 
United States; 
Whereas, as a result of the inability of these high level offi-
cials to visit the United States, Congress loses the oppor-
tunity to communicate directly with them about develop-
ments in the Asia-Pacific region and key elements of the 
relationship between the United States and Taiwan; 
Whereas, considering the enormous economic, security, and 
political interests shared by the United States, Taiwan, 
and China, there could not be a more important time to 
find opportunities to meet with Taiwan’s new leaders; 
Whereas Congress must continue to play an independent 
oversight role in United States policy toward Taiwan and 
continue to find ways to reduce tensions across the Tai-
wan Strait, in particular to counteract the buildup of 
missiles by China that are pointed at Taiwan; 
Whereas the policy of restricting high level officials from Tai-
wan from making official visits to the United States 
forces Members of Congress to choose whether to rely 
solely upon indirect assessments provided by the adminis-
tration or to travel to Taiwan to obtain this information 
firsthand and denies the democratically elected officials of 
Taiwan the respect they deserve; 
Whereas by bestowing upon President Chen the respect his 
office deserves, the United States will demonstrate to the
•HCON 481 IH 
people of Taiwan and China the support of the United 
States for democracy; and 
Whereas the Immigration and Nationality Technical Correc-
tions Act of 1994 (Public Law 103–416) provides that 
the president or other high level official of Taiwan shall 
be welcome in the United States at any time to discuss 
a variety of important issues: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) it is in the national interests of the United 
States to communicate directly with democratically 
elected and appointed officials of Taiwan, including 
the democratically elected president of Taiwan; and 
(2) the United States should lift all restrictions 
on visits by high level officials of Taiwan to the 
United States.
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