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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 301
Affirming U.S. Commitments to Taiwan
(House - July 17, 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: and
Whereas the President ignored a resolution that passed
the House by a vote of 411-0 in June 1998 urging that he seek,
during his recent summit in beijing, a public renunciation by
the People's Republic of China of any use of force, or threat of
use of force, against democratic 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, and that the people of both sides of the
Taiwan Strait should determine their own future, in accordance
with the United Nations Charter and the principle of
self-determination, 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, including appropriate ballistic
missle defenses, 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;
- 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; and
- affirms its strong support, in accordance with the
spirit of the Taiwan Relations Act, of appropriate membership
for Taiwan in international financial institutions and other
international organizations.
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