Tracking Number: 427278
Title: "Amendment to Senate Resolution on Chinese Missile Tests."
The office of Senator Craig Thomas has released an unnumbered amendment to the recent legislation that expressed concern about China's missile tests. (960314)
Date: 19960314
Text:
TEXT: AMENDMENT TO SENATE RESOLUTION ON CHINESE MISSILE TESTS
(draft of amendment to S.Con.Res. 43) (1150)
Washington -- The office of Senator Craig Thomas (Republican of Wyoming) released an as-yet unnumbered amendment to Senate Concurrent Resolution 43 (S.Con.Res. 43), March 14, which expresses concern about China's missile tests.
The amended resolution would recommend the U.S. deplore China's March 8-15 missile tests; determine an appropriate response to the tests if they pose an actual threat to Taiwan's peace, security, and stability; and re-examine the nature and quantity of defense articles and capabilities available for Taiwan's self-defense.
Winston Lord, assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, expressed support of the resolution at a March 14 hearing before the House International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
At the same time, Lord cited concerns about a similar resolution in the House.
Paragraph seven of H.Con.Res. 148, a House resolution that recommends U.S. military forces defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion, missile attack, or blockade by the People's Republic of China, states that "the United States, in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and the constitutional process of the United States, and consistent with its friendship with and commitment to the democratic government and people of Taiwan, should assist in defending them against invasion, missile attack, or blockade by the People's Republic of China."
Lord warned that this language could be misinterpreted as a redefinition or expansion of U.S. obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act.
"Even if no substantive differences in our obligations are meant by this language, the very fact that it is new language" could lead to misunderstanding and misinterpretation, he said.
Lord also emphasized that "Taiwan itself is pleased with the Taiwan Relations Act."
"On many occasions they have made it clear they appreciate the Taiwan Relations Act, and they would be somewhat apprehensive about changes being made on it," he said. "We think, therefore, it is very unwise to tamper with the language of the Taiwan Relations Act."
Following is the text of S.Con.Res. 43, as amended:
(begin text)
Purpose: To express the sense of Congress regarding missile tests by the People's Republic of China.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES -- 104th Cong., 2d Sess. Referred to the Committee on and ordered to be printed Ordered to lie on the table and to be printed
~AMENDMENT intended to be proposed by Mr. THOMAS (for himself, Mr. HELMS, Mr. DO~LE, Mr~. MURKOWSKI, Mr. PELL~~, Mr. SIMON, Mr. MACK, Mr. G~~RAMS~, Mr. PRESS~LER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. D'AMA~TO, Mr. WARNER, and Mr. FORD)
At the appropriate place, insert ~the following: SEC. . SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING MISSILE TESTS BY THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
(a) FINDINGS. Congress makes the following findings: (1) The People's Republic of China, in a clear attempt to intimidate the people and G~overnment of Taiwan, has over the past 8 months conducted a series of military exercises, including missile tests, within alarmingly close proximity to Taiwan.
(2) On March 5, 1996, the Xinhua News Agency announced that the People's Republic of China would conduct missile tests from March 6 through March 15, 1996, within 25 to 35 miles of the 2 principal northern and southern ports of Taiwan, Kaohsiung and Keelung.
(3) The proximity of these tests to the ports and the accompanying warnings for ships and aircraft to avoid the test areas is resulting in the effective disruption of the ports, and of international shipping and air traffic, for the duration of the tests.
(4) These tests are a clear escalation of the attempts by the People's Republic of China to intimidate Taiwan and influence the outcome of the upcoming democratic presidential election in Taiwan~.
(5) Relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China rest upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be settled solely by peaceful means~.
(6) The strong interest of the United States in the peaceful settlement of the Taiwan question is one of the central premises of the three United States-China Joint Comm~uniques and was codified in the Taiwan Relations Act.
(7) The Taiwan Relations Act states that peace and stability in the western Pacific "are in the political, security, and economic interests of the United States, and are matters of international concern".
(8) The Taiwan Relations Act states that the United States considers "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 arid of grave concern to the United States".
(9) The Taiwan Relations Act directs the President to "inform Congress promptly of any threat to the security or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan and any danger to the interests of the United States arising therefrom".
(10) The Taiwan Relations Act further directs that "the President and the Congress shall determine, in accordance with constitutional process, appropriate action by the United States in response to any such danger".
(11) The United States, the People's Republic of China, and the Government of Taiwan have each previously expressed their commitment to the resolution of the Taiwan question through peaceful means.
(12) These missile tests and accompanying statements made by the Government of the People's Republic of China call into serious question the commitment of China to the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question.
(b) SENSE of Co~ngress~~~. -- It is the sense of the Congress that -- (1) the United States deplores the missile tests that the People's Republic of China is conducting from March 8 through March 15, 1996, and views them as a potentially serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of Taiwan and not in the spirit of the three United States-China Joint Communiques;
(2) the Government of the People's Republic of China should cease its bellicose actions directed at Taiwan and instead enter into meaningful dialogue with the Government of Taiwan at the highest levels, such as through the Straits Exchange Foundation in Taiwan and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits in Beijing, with an eye towards decreasing tensions and resolving the issue of the future of Taiwan;
(3) the President, consistent with section 3(c) of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3302(c)), should immediately consult with Congress on an appropriate United States response to the tests should the tests pose an actual threat to the peace, security, and stability of Taiwan; and
(4) the President should, consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3303 et seq.), reexamine the nature and quantity of defense articles and services that may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability in light of the heightened threat.
(end text)
NNNN
File Identification: 03/14/96, EPF408
Product Name: Wireless File
Product Code: WF
Keywords: SENATE, US; THOMAS, CRAIG; LEGISLATION; TAIWAN-US RELATIONS;
CHINA-TAIWAN RELATIONS; CHINA-US RELATIONS; LORD, WINSTON
Document Type: TXT
Thematic Codes: 1EA
Target Areas: EA
PDQ Text Link: 427278
USIA
Notes: *96031408.EPF
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
