IV
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 67
Expressing the sense of the Congress relating to the Taiwan Relations Act.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 20, 2001
Mr. ANDREWS (for himself, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. RILEY, and Mr. KIRK) sub-
mitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress relating to the Taiwan
Relations Act.
Whereas for more than 50 years a close relationship has ex-
isted between the United States and Taiwan which has
been of enormous economic, cultural, and strategic ad-
vantage to both countries;
Whereas Taiwan has demonstrated an improved record on
human rights and a commitment to democratic ideals of
freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and free and
fair elections routinely held in a multiparty system, as
evidenced on March 18, 2000, by the election of Mr.
Chen Shui-bian as Taiwan’s new president;
Whereas April 10, 2001, will mark the 22d anniversary of the
enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96–
8), which codified in public law the basis for continued
•HCON 67 IH
commercial, cultural, and other relations between the
United States and Taiwan;
Whereas Taiwan continues to experience a threat of missile
attack across the Taiwan Strait as demonstrated in
March 1996 when missiles were launched near its shores
during military exercises by the People’s Republic of
China;
Whereas the defense modernization and weapons procurement
efforts by the People’s Republic of China, as documented
in a December 18, 2000, report by the Secretary of De-
fense pursuant to Public Law 106–113 on the security
situation in the Taiwan Strait, could threaten cross-strait
stability and United States interests in the Asia-Pacific
region;
Whereas it is in the interest of the United States that Tai-
wan maintains adequate forces to help maintain peace
and stability in the Asia-Pacific region;
Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act provides explicit guaran-
tees that the United States will make available to Taiwan
defense articles and services necessary in such quantity
as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a suf-
ficient self-defense capability;
Whereas Congress and the President are committed by sec-
tion 3(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act to determine the
nature and quantity of Taiwan’s legitimate self-defense
needs;
Whereas in recent discussions between the United States and
Taiwan on Taiwan’s defense needs, Taiwan clearly ar-
ticulated its requirement for naval-based defense systems
such as diesel submarines, P–3 surveillance aircraft, ad-
•HCON 67 IH
vanced air-launched missiles, and Taiwan’s coverage
under the proposed Theater Missile Defense System;
Whereas a recent Department of Defense review of Taiwan’s
defense requirements concluded that in view of recent
missile deployment on the Chinese coast facing Taiwan
the Aegis system should be released to Taiwan; and
Whereas in his January 17, 2001, confirmation hearing as
Secretary of State, General Colin Powell stated that
‘‘[W]e will stand by Taiwan and will provide for the de-
fense needs of Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Re-
lations Act and subsequent communiques’’: Now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the United States should reaffirm its com-
mitment to the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law
96–8) and the specific guarantees for the provision
of legitimate defense articles to Taiwan contained
therein;
(2) the President should seek from the leaders
of the People’s Republic of China a public renunci-
ation of any use of force, or threat to use force,
against Taiwan; and
(3) the executive branch should recognize Tai-
wan’s significant defense needs and therefore ap-
prove the sale to Taiwan of advanced weapons sys-
tems that are legitimately needed for defensive pur-
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poses, in strict accordance with section 3(b) of the
Taiwan Relations Act.
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