China's Anti-Secession Law

CHINA'S ANTI-SECESSION LAW -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 15, 2005)

SPEECH OF
HON. PETE SESSIONS
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2005

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, in mid-January China and Taiwan agreed to allow direct flights between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan during this year's Lunar New Year holidays. This agreement was considered a breakthrough in cross-strait relations and could signal the beginning of a thaw in relations. Unfortunately, we learned that in March this year Beijing will enact an anti-secession law, the intent of which is to force unification on Taiwan.

The anti-secession law assumes China's jurisdiction over Taiwan and gives China the right to invade Taiwan when and if China considers the invasion necessary. This law severely erodes Taiwanese people's goodwill for China. In recent years, Taiwanese businesses have invested as much as $100 billion in China and have directly created the Chinese miracle of unprecedented economic growth and prosperity. Instead of reciprocating Taiwanese goodwill, China is now attempting to lay the legal groundwork for China's possible invasion of Taiwan.

Mr. Speaker, it is now time for us to speak up against China's proposed anti-secession law. It is an unfriendly law against the Taiwanese people as well as a provocative law threatening to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. It is possible that the peace-loving Taiwanese people may seek their own legislation against China's annexation attempt. This will, in turn, inflame Chinese leaders and provoke them to enact even harsher legislation against Taiwan. Consequently tensions will rise and war in the Taiwan Strait will become a possibility.

It is still not too late for the Chinese authorities not to enact the anti-secession law against Taiwan. Taiwanese people and their leaders are all peace-loving people who do not seek to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. Why must China take upon itself to unilaterally change the status quo?

Friends of Taiwan in the United States must make clear to China that the United States will not stand idly by if China uses force against Taiwan. Taiwan Relations Act assures Taiwan of our concern over any military action against Taiwan. The United States will not allow China to impose its own style of government on the unwilling Taiwan. Taiwanese people must be given their own voice of self-determination regarding their future, and their liberty mustn't be taken away from them by any adversary.

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