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Week Ending October 5, 2007

H.RES.676 Declaring that it shall continue to be the policy of the United States, consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, to make available to Taiwan such defense articles and services as may be necessary for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.

<< Click flag for map and country data, Taiwan.

Although the US never supported any effort to include Taiwan in the UN, it did sign on to sell arms to that island through the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, The Act was signed when the US opened diplomatic relations with China.

The Act also obligates the US to “resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion” jeopardizing the security, or social or economic system of Taiwan’s people. The obligation is cemented in text that requires the US to provide defense articles and services in a quantity necessary to enable Taiwan to sufficiently defend itself.

The preamble further notes that $488 billion was appropriated last year for procurement of 88 F-16C/C fighters from the US but that come October 31, 2007, those funds will not be available. While Taiwan has set aside nearly $800 billion for the second year of procurement, the Bush Administration has not responded to Taiwan’s interest in the planes.

More Resolution below….

Sponsor:  Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-18^th)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote September 2, 2007

Cost to the taxpayers:

Earmark Certification:  

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MORE INFORMATION

Whereas relations between the United States and Taiwan are governed by the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.; Public Law 96-8), three joint communiques, and the Six Assurances;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act has governed United States arms sales to Taiwan since 1979, when the United States extended diplomatic recognition to the People's Republic of China;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act specifies that it is United States policy, among other things, to consider any non-peaceful means to determine Taiwan's future `a threat' to the peace and security of the Western Pacific and of `grave concern' to the United States; `to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character;' and `to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion' jeopardizing the security, or social or economic system of Taiwan's people;

Whereas section 3(a) of the Taiwan Relations Act states that `the United States will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability';

Whereas section 3(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act stipulates that both the President and the Congress shall determine the nature and quantity of such defense articles and services `based solely' upon their judgment of the needs of Taiwan;

Whereas Taiwan's 2007 defense budget included approximately $488,000,000 to begin the process of procuring 66 new United States-origin F-16C/D fighters, pending United States price and availability data;

Whereas after October 31, 2007, those funds will no longer be available to begin the process of procuring the F-16C/D fighters;

Whereas the Taiwanese Defense Ministry has requested and the Executive Yuan (cabinet) approved in August 2007 a 2008 defense budget that includes approximately $764,000,000 for the second year's budget for F-16C/D fighters;

Whereas notwithstanding the requirements of the Taiwan Relations Act, the Bush Administration has not been responsive to Taiwan's clear expression of interest in receiving price and availability data for the F-16C/D fighters; and

Whereas in its annual, congressionally mandated report on China's Military Power (most recently released in May 2007) the Department of Defense concluded that China is greatly improving its military, with those improvements largely focused on a Taiwan contingency, and that this build-up poses an increasing threat to Taiwan and ultimately to the United States military presence in Asia: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That--

(1) it shall continue to be the policy of the United States, consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, to make available to Taiwan such defense articles and services as may be necessary for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability; and

(2) the United States should determine the nature and quantity of such defense articles and services `based solely' upon the legitimate defense needs of Taiwan.

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