IV
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 272
Commending the people of Taiwan for reaffirming, in their upcoming presi-
dential elections, their dedication to democratic ideals, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 9, 2000
Mr. DEUTSCH (for himself, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. BAKER, Mr.
BERMAN, Mrs. BONO, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. CANNON, Mr. CHABOT,
Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. FORBES, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr.
HINCHEY, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. KING, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr.
MCINTOSH, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. ROGAN, Mr.
ROHRABACHER, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. SCHAFFER, Mr. STARK,
Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. WEXLER, and Mr. WYNN) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Inter-
national Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Commending the people of Taiwan for reaffirming, in their
upcoming presidential elections, their dedication to demo-
cratic ideals, and for other purposes.
Whereas in recent years, Taiwan has undergone a major po-
litical transformation and Taiwan is today a true
multiparty democracy with a political system separate
from and totally unlike that of the People’s Republic of
China;
Whereas the Government of Taiwan no longer claims to be
the Government of China;
•HCON 272 IH
Whereas since 1979, the United States Government has in-
sisted that the ultimate status of Taiwan must have the
express consent of the people of Taiwan and must be de-
cided by peaceful means;
Whereas United States interests are served by supporting de-
mocracy around the world;
Whereas the centerpiece of Taiwan’s democracy is its system
of competitive and free elections;
Whereas Taiwan is a democracy with its second direct presi-
dential elections scheduled for March 18, 2000;
Whereas this election will only be the latest example of Tai-
wan’s commitment to the democratic ideals of freedom
and pluralism, values that it shares with the United
States;
Whereas in March 1996, the political leadership of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China used provocative military maneu-
vers, including missile launch exercises in the Taiwan
Strait, in an attempt to intimidate the people of Taiwan
during their first-ever free and democratic presidential
elections;
Whereas peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait area are in
the political, security, and economic interests of the
United States and are of international concern as speci-
fied in the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et
seq.), signed into law in 1979; and
Whereas the People’s Republic of China has threatened to
use force against Taiwan at various times, as most re-
cently manifested in the Chinese Policy Paper of Feb-
ruary 21, 2000, and continues to refuse to renounce the
use of force against Taiwan: Now, therefore, be it
•HCON 272 IH
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That—
(1) the Congress commends the people of Tai-
wan for—
(A) having established a democracy on
Taiwan over the past decades and for repeat-
edly reaffirming their dedication to democratic
ideals; and
(B) carrying out the second free, fair and
democratic direct presidential election in Tai-
wan’s history in March 2000; and
(2) that it is the sense of the Congress that—
(A) it is the right of the people of Taiwan
to freely elect their President without any inter-
ference from the People’s Republic of China;
(B) the ultimate status of Taiwan must
have the express consent of the people of Tai-
wan and must be decided by peaceful means;
and
(3) the United States looks forward to working
with the next democratically elected President of
Taiwan.
Æ