Washington, 7 July 1998.
In a strong rebuke to President Clinton, on 7 July 1998, U.S.
Senators Robert Torricelli
(D-NJ) and Trent Lott
(R-MS) introduced a Resolution in the Senate reaffirming U.S.
commitment to Taiwan. The Resolution reiterated that the future of
Taiwan should be determined by peaceful means, with the consent of
the people of Taiwan.
An excellent statement was also made by Senator Frank
Murkowski (R-Alaska), in which Mr. Murkowski strongly
disagreed with Mr. Clinton on both his Beijing University statement
on "peaceful reunification" as well as the "three
noes."
The resolution also reaffirmed the commitment to provide Taiwan
the defensive means necessary to defend itself against China, and
restated that the U.S. considers "...any effort to determine
the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means a threat to the
peace and security of the Western Pacific and of grave concern to
the U.S."
The Resolution was passed on Friday, 10 July 1998 by a unanimous
92-0 vote.
Below is the full text of the resolution as it was introduced in
the Senate. It was co-sponsored by Senators Murkowski, Helms, Lugar,
Mack, Gorton, Thomas, McCain, Gramm, Hutchinson, Bond, Domenici,
Kempthorne, Kyl, Abraham, Hatch, Burns, Warner, Coverdell,
Faircloth, McConnell, Craig, Smith of New Hampshire, and Brownback.
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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 107
Affirming U.S. Commitments to Taiwan
(Senate - July 07, 1998)
Whereas at no time since the establishment of the
People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, has Taiwan been
under the control of the People's Republic of China;
Whereas the United States began its long, peaceful,
friendly relationship with Taiwan in 1949;
Whereas since the enactment of the Taiwan Relations
Act in 1979, the policy of the United States has been based on
the expectation that the future relationship between the
People's Republic of China and Taiwan would be determined by
peaceful means;
Whereas in March 1996, the People's Republic of China
held provocative military maneuvers, including missile launch
exercises in the Taiwan Strait, in an attempt to intimidate the
people of Taiwan during their historic, free and democratic
presidential election;
Whereas officials of the People's Republic of China
refuse to renounce the use of force against democratic Taiwan;
Whereas Taiwan has achieved significant political and
economic strength as one of the world's premier democracies and
as the 19th largest economy in the world;
Whereas Taiwan is the seventh largest trading partner
of the United States and imports more than twice as much
annually from the United States as does the People's Republic of
China;
Whereas no treaties exist between the People's
Republic of China and Taiwan that determine the future status of
Taiwan:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of
Representatives concurring), That Congress--
- affirms its long standing commitment to Taiwan and the
people of Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act
(Public Law 96-8);
- affirms its expectation, consistent with the Taiwan
Relations Act, that the future of Taiwan will be determined by
peaceful means, with the consent of the people of Taiwan, and
considers any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by
other than peaceful means a threat to the peace and security
of the Western Pacific and of grave concern to the United
States;
- affirms its commitment, consistent with the Taiwan
Relations Act, to make available to Taiwan such defense
articles and defense services in such quantities as may be
necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient
self-defense capability;
- affirms its commitment, consistent with the Taiwan
Relations Act, that only the President and Congress shall
determine the nature and quantity of defense articles and
services for Taiwan based solely upon their judgment of the
needs of Taiwan; and
- urges the President of the United States to seek a
public renunciation by the People's Republic of China of any
use of force, or threat to use force, against democratic
Taiwan.
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