Expresses the sense of the Congress that: (1) the anti-secession law of the People's Republic of China (PRC) provides a legal justification for the use of force against Taiwan, altering the status quo in the region and is of grave concern to the United States; (2) the President should direct appropriate U.S. officials to convey such concern to their PRC counterparts; (3) the U.S. Government should reaffirm its policy that Taiwan's future should be resolved peacefully and with the consent of the people of Taiwan; and (4) the U.S. Government should continue to encourage Taiwan-PRC dialogue.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 24 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. CON. RES. 24
Expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the recent passage
of the anti-secession law by the National People's Congress of the
People's Republic of China.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 20, 2005
Mr. Graham (for himself, Mr. Allen, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Chambliss, Mr.
Kyl, Mr. Bond, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Dorgan, and Mr. Schumer)
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the recent passage
of the anti-secession law by the National People's Congress of the
People's Republic of China.
Whereas, on December 9, 2003, President George W. Bush stated it is the policy
of the United States to ``oppose any unilateral decision, by either
China or Taiwan, to change the status quo'' in the region;
Whereas, in the past few years, the United States Government has urged both
Taiwan and the People's Republic of China to maintain restraint;
Whereas the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China passed
an anti-secession law on March 14, 2005, which constitutes a unilateral
change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait;
Whereas the passage of China's anti-secession law escalates tensions between
Taiwan and the People's Republic of China and is an impediment to cross-
strait dialogue;
Whereas the purpose of China's anti-secession law is to create a legal framework
for possible use of force against Taiwan and mandates Chinese military
action under certain circumstances, including when ``possibilities for a
peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted'';
Whereas the Department of Defense's Report on the Military Power of the People's
Republic of China for Fiscal Year 2004 documents that, as of 2003, the
Government of the People's Republic of China had deployed approximately
500 short-range ballistic missiles against Taiwan;
Whereas the escalating arms buildup of missiles and other offensive weapons by
the People's Republic of China in areas adjacent to the Taiwan Strait is
a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area;
Whereas, given the recent positive developments in cross-strait relations,
including the Lunar New Year charter flights and new proposals for
cross-strait exchanges, it is particularly unfortunate that the National
People's Congress adopted this legislation;
Whereas, since its enactment in 1979, the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301
et seq.), which codified in law the basis for continued commercial,
cultural, and other relations between the people of the United States
and the people of Taiwan, has been instrumental in maintaining peace,
security, and stability in the Taiwan Strait;
Whereas section 2(b)(2) of the Taiwan Relations Act declares that ``peace and
stability in the area are in the political, security, and economic
interests of the United States, and are matters of international
concern'';
Whereas, at the time the Taiwan Relations Act was enacted into law, section
2(b)(3) of such Act made clear that the United States decision to
establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China
rested upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan would be
determined by peaceful means;
Whereas section 2(b)(4) of the Taiwan Relations Act declares it the policy of
the United States ``to consider any effort to determine the future of
Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes,
a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of
grave concern to the United States'';
Whereas section 2(b)(6) of the Taiwan Relations Act declares it the policy of
the United States ``to maintain the capacity of the United States to
resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would
jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people
on Taiwan''; and
Whereas any attempt to determine Taiwan's future by other than peaceful means
and other than with the express consent of the people of Taiwan would be
considered of grave concern to the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
(1) the anti-secession law of the People's Republic of
China provides a legal justification for the use of force
against Taiwan, altering the status quo in the region, and thus
is of grave concern to the United States;
(2) the President should direct all appropriate officials
of the United States Government to convey to their counterpart
officials in the Government of the People's Republic of China
the grave concern with which the United States views the
passage of China's anti-secession law in particular, and the
growing Chinese military threats to Taiwan in general;
(3) the United States Government should reaffirm its policy
that the future of Taiwan should be resolved by peaceful means
and with the consent of the people of Taiwan; and
(4) the United States Government should continue to
encourage dialogue between Taiwan and the People's Republic of
China.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3111)
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