IV
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 18
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2009
Mr. Linder submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should resume normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and for other purposes.
Whereas the people of Taiwan have established a vibrant and pluralistic democracy;
Whereas the people of Taiwan have conducted four successful presidential elections, successive elections for members of their national legislature, numerous local elections, and two national referendums;
Whereas Taiwan has never been under the jurisdiction of the Communist government in Beijing, which continues to illegitimately claim sovereignty over Taiwan and its 23,000,000 citizens;
Whereas the Shanghai Communique, which maintains that
there is One China
and that Taiwan is part of
China
, was established without the consultation of Congress or people
of Taiwan;
Whereas Communist China has since used the One
China Policy
to block Taiwan’s membership and full participation in
international organizations and events, ranging from the United Nations and the
World Health Organization to the Olympics;
Whereas the One China Policy
is effectively
obsolete, and does not the reflect the obvious reality that Taiwan has
functioned as an independent and sovereign country for over half a
century;
Whereas Taiwan maintains diplomatic, cultural, and economic relations with several countries around the world;
Whereas Taiwan and the United States maintained formal diplomatic relations until 1979;
Whereas former President Jimmy Carter abruptly severed diplomatic ties with the Taiwan in 1979 and terminated the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and Taiwan without consulting or seeking the approval of Congress;
Whereas Congress responded later that year by adopting the Taiwan Relations Act, codifying in law the basis for continued friendly relations between the United States and Taiwan;
Whereas former President Ronald Reagan issued the
Six Assurances
to Taiwan in July 1982, including the assurance
that [t]he United States would not formally recognize Chinese
sovereignty over Taiwan.
; and
Whereas Taiwan has been a steadfast ally of the United States and a responsible and compassionate member of the world community: Now, therefore, be it
That it is the sense of Congress that—
the President should abandon the
fundamentally flawed One China Policy
in favor of a more
realistic One China, One Taiwan Policy
that recognizes Taiwan as
a sovereign and independent country, separate from the Communist regime in
Beijing;
the President should begin the process of resuming normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan; and
the President, the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations, and other relevant United States officials should aggressively support Taiwan’s full participation in the United Nations and any other international organization of which the United States is a member, and for which statehood is a requirement for membership.
