Rep. Ackerman Introduces APEC Resolution
H.CON.RES.194
24 July 2001
HCON 194 IH
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 194
Expressing the sense of Congress to encourage full participation
in the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 24, 2001
Mr. ACKERMAN (for himself and Mr. CHABOT) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International
Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress to encourage full participation
in the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
Whereas the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meets annually
to afford leaders of APEC's twenty-one members the opportunity to
discuss mutual interests in economic security and expanded commerce;
Whereas this year's APEC forum is scheduled to be held October 19-21,
2001, in Shanghai, China, and will be attended by President George
W. Bush and President Jiang Zemin;
Whereas
Taiwan enjoys a robust trading relationship with the United States,
importing significantly more goods from the United States than does
the People's Republic of China;
Whereas Taiwan possesses the seventh largest trading economy and
ninth largest gross domestic product in the APEC consortium, contributing
significantly to economic stability and commercial expansion across
the region;
Whereas bilateral trade and direct investment across the Taiwan Strait
has dramatically increased in recent years;
Whereas
Taiwan's democratically elected leaders have offered to meet for dialogue
with leaders of the People's Republic of China at `any time, any place
on any topics';
Whereas it is demonstrably in the national security interests of
the United States for the leaders across both sides of the Taiwan
Strait to engage without precondition in a peaceful dialogue on the
basis of mutual respect; and
Whereas the United States Trade Representative stated publicly on
June 5, 2001, in Shanghai that the personal participation in this
year's APEC forum of Taiwan's democratically elected president, Chen
Shui-bian, `would be a constructive step': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress supports the initiatives proposed for direct dialogue
without precondition between leaders on both sides of the Taiwan Strait
and specifically endorses the proposal for full participation in the
October 2001 Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum by President
Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan.
KEEPING THE PEACE: A senior official with the US State Department
said a joint US-Japan-Taiwan missile defense system as proposed by
president Chen could be a good idea
July 26, 2001
By Charles Snyder
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
The Bush administration would be willing to consider the feasibility
of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) recent suggestion that the US,
Taiwan and Japan jointly develop a missile defense system, a senior
State Department official said.
"I
think President Bush has made it clear in some of his earlier remarks
that the defense of Taiwan is something we regard as very important
and [such a joint missile defense] could be an element of it,"
said John R. Bolton, the under secretary of state for arms control
and international security affairs.
Bolton was speaking with reporters at a briefing at the State Department's
Foreign Press Center. His comments came in response to the question
of whether the administration would be willing to look into the "feasibility
or possibility" of such a system.
"And, it's something that as our research and development continues
for navy theater-wide and other missile systems, that obviously, I'm
sure, we'll be in consultation with the authorities in Taiwan about,"
he said.
Chen
made the suggestion in an interview last week with the Washington
Times, in which he compared the military threat China poses to Taiwan
to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, in which President Kennedy successfully
prevented the Soviet Union from deploying nuclear missiles on that
island nation 145km from the Florida coast.
In
the interview, Chen said that increased missile deployment by China
across the Taiwan Strait was the reason Washington and Tokyo were
conducting research on development of missile defense systems.
"I believe peace in the Taiwan Strait is the key to overall
stability in the Asia Pacific Region," he said. "So, maintaining
peace in the Taiwan Strait and avoiding a PRC threat against Taiwan
is something that the US, Japan and Taiwan must jointly deal with
in a manner of division of responsibilities and cooperation."
Chen
also called for closer cooperation and exchanges between the military
forces of Taiwan and the US, including greater training of Taiwan
military personnel by America. Bolton noted that the question of missile
defenses came up in April, when the US and Taiwan representatives
conducted their annual arms sales session in Washington.
At that time, the Bush administration decided on a robust sales package
to Taiwan valued at some US$4 billion. Included were four Kidd-class
destroyers, up to eight diesel submarines, 12 P-3C Orion submarine-hunting
aircraft, minesweeping helicopters, surface-to-air missiles, torpedoes
and amphibious assault vehicles.
But the package notably excluded the four AEGIS destroyers with advanced
radar-based anti-missile systems that many military analysts feel
could form the basis of an eventual theater missile defense system.
Regarding future arms sales Bolton said, "I think a lot depends,
obviously, on what Beijing does. Noting again Powell's trip to Beijing
on Saturday, he said, "I think it's important to see what comes
out of that."
"The president and others have made it clear that they value
the relationship with Taiwan," he said, recalling that right
after the arms sales announcement Bush indicated that he preferred
to move away from the annual spring sales ritual to an ongoing, year-round
dialogue. Such a dialogue, Bolton said, "is over the long term
going to be much more productive."
