Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I am happy today to give strong support for the resolution introduced yesterday by Mr. Cox, myself, the Republican leadership and 82 bipartisan Members, expressing our continued and unequivocal support for the Republic of China on Taiwan. Mr. Speaker, the Clinton administration's response to the increasingly strident threats made toward the Republic of China has been almost nonexistent. They have pointedly refused to commit to the Republic of China's defense in the event that Communist China should invade or attack our friends in Taiwan. The administration's deliberate ambiguity in this matter sends absolutely the wrong message to Beijing, and practically invites an escalation of an already tense situation.
The Taiwan Relations Act--the law of the land in our dealings with the Republic of China, despite what Beijing would care to think, has at its core our desire to see disputes between Communist China and the Republic of China settled peacefully. We must make it clear to the rulers in Beijing that the United States intends to live up to its commitments under this law, and I think that this resolution will help to demonstrate in no uncertain terms that we take this obligation very seriously.
I would ask all of my colleagues here in the House to support House Concurrent Resolution 148. The people of the Republic of China on Taiwan need us, and the dictators in Beijing need to hear from us.
