Questions | Syracuse | Chinese Communities

China Divided: The Status of Taiwan

Document 6

Vocabulary

Abridged: Cut short

Whereas Taiwan has dramatically improved its record on human rights and routinely holds free and fair elections in a multiparty system, as evidenced most recently by Taiwan's second democratic presidential election of March 18, 2000, in which Mr. Chen Shui-bian was elected as president;

Whereas the 23,000,000 people on Taiwan are not represented in the United Nations and many other international organizations, and their human rights as citizens of the world are therefore severely abridged;

Whereas Taiwan has in recent years repeatedly expressed its strong desire to participate in the United Nations and other international organizations;

Whereas Taiwan has much to contribute to the work and funding of the United Nations and other international organizations;

Whereas the world community has reacted positively to Taiwan's desire for international participation, as shown by Taiwan's membership in the Asian Development Bank and Taiwan's admission to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group as a full member and to the World Trade Organization as an observer;

Whereas the United States has supported Taiwan's participation in these bodies and, in the Taiwan Policy Review of September 1994, declared an intention of a stronger and more active policy of support for Taiwan's participation in appropriate international organizations;

Whereas Public Law 106-137 required the Secretary of State to submit a report to the Congress on administration efforts to support Taiwan's participation in international organizations, in particular the World Health Organization; and

Whereas in such report the Secretary of State failed to endorse Taiwan's participation in international organizations and thereby did not follow the spirit of the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--

(1) Taiwan and its 23,000,000 people deserve appropriate meaningful participation in the United Nations and other international organizations such as the World Health Organization; and

(2) the United States should fulfill the commitment it made in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review to more actively support Taiwan's participation in appropriate international organizations.
Passed the House of Representatives October 3, 2000.

Document 6: Excerpt from 106th U.S. CONGRESS, 2d Session, House Congressional RES. 390.

Document 6 Short-Answer Questions

1. What position did the U.S. House of Representatives take regarding participation of Taiwan in the United Nations and other international organizations?
2. Give one reason why the House agreed that Taiwan deserved to participate in international organizations:
3. What international groups have allowed Taiwan to participate?

Document 5 | Document 7

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