Breaking Through the Monopoly of Taiwan’s Electronic Media

Press freedom is one of the critical indicators of freedom in a democracy. Young people in the 21st century are accustomed to hundreds of cable TV stations today. However, it is difficult to imagine the days when there were only three TV stations in Taiwan. To help break the abnormal phenomenon of the dominance of the three state-sponsored TV stations, FAPA actively sought to improve freedom of the press in Taiwan, striving to establish a fourth TV station in Taiwan.

On January 23, 1995, “Voice of Taiwan” anchor Hsu Jung-chi led the “Breakthrough Electronic Media Alliance” to go on a hunger strike in Washington for five days, aiming to appeal to the international community to help reform Taiwan’s twisted electronic media system.

On February 2, 1995, at the request of FAPA, Rep. Peter Deutsch (D-FL) held a hearing on “Freedom of Speech and Electronic Media Monopoly in Taiwan” in Congress. Taiwanese legislator Chang Chun-hung, Hsu Jung-chi, and Mike Fonte testified. Reps. Tom Lantos (D-CA), John Porter (R-IL), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Deutsch, and others sent a letter to President Lee Teng-hui condemning the government’s actions to be against freedom of speech and the spirit of democracy. The letter expressed the hope that the Taiwanese authorities could fairly, openly, and impartially review the operational rights of a fourth TV station.

Consolidating Taiwan’s Security/Opposing China’s Military Threat

President Lee Teng-hui visited Cornell University, his alma mater, at the end of May 1995. China then tested missiles off the coast of Taiwan several times in July and August as a response, seeking to intimidate the people of Taiwan. This provocative move seriously affected Taiwan’s security and was met with condemnation from the international community.

FAPA immediately sent a letter to Secretary of State Warren Christopher and White House National Security Advisor Lake, calling on the U.S. government not to sit by idly and watch China’s military provocation but that the United States should respond immediately. Lake replied twice on behalf of the U.S. government that the White House would handle it carefully.

On October 23, 1995, under the leadership of Senators Paul Simon (D-IL) and Larry Pressler (R-SD), nearly thirty senators signed a letter to President Clinton to express their grave concern about Taiwan’s security and defense.

On October 24, 1995, Chinese President Jiang Zemin went to the United Nations to deliver a speech. FAPA and major Taiwanese associations in the United States launched large-scale demonstrations to protest against China’s civil and military intimidation against the people of Taiwan. We also tried to remind President Clinton that the people of Taiwan, with their hard-earned democracy and freedom, could not be bullied by other countries.

In the spring of 1996, China tested another round of missiles before Taiwan’s first direct presidential elections in an attempt to prevent the Taiwanese people from practicing democracy with their votes. FAPA’s primary focus in 1996 was to promote Taiwan’s security, seek the condemnation of China’s military ambitions from all walks of life in the United States, and call on the international community to support the security of the Taiwanese people.

Members of Congress, such as Sherrod Brown and Robert Torricelli, issued statements and speeches. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), through the lobbying of FAPA, contacted Secretary of State Christopher and personally expressed his opinion to the U.S. State Department. He was concerned about peace in the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan’s security. As many as 80 Senators and Representatives signed a letter to President Clinton, asking him to strongly condemn China and deliver Taiwan’s defensive weapons as soon as possible.

At the same time, FAPA worked with Congress proposing the “Taiwan Security Resolution” by working closely with Chairman Ben Gilman (R-NY) of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to get it passed smoothly through the Senate and the House. At the request of FAPA, Congressman Gilman sent a letter to Chinese President Jiang Zemin, expressing that he and the U.S. Congress firmly oppose China’s military invasion of Taiwan. They warned that such a move would inevitably lead to economic sanctions from countries around the world, and the United States could also be involved in this military dispute.

The Taiwan Security Resolution unanimously passed the Senate and the House on March 21, 1996, and March 19, 1996, respectively.

Call on the U.S. Government to Abandon the “One China Policy”

The “One China Policy” of the United States took shape at the height of the Cold War in 1972. At that time, the United States had to win over China in order to help the U.S. against Russia. But the U.S. did not want to betray its Cold War comrade-in-arms, Chiang Kai-shek. Thus, this “One China Policy” came to be. Kissinger and his fellow foreign policy elites disregarded Chiang Kai-shek’s dictatorship and its harm to the Taiwanese people. They also ignored how the claim “Taiwan is part of China” never won the approval of the residents of Taiwan. The “One China Policy” was abruptly imposed on the country, and it stifled any chance for Taiwan to expand its international diplomacy in the future.

Following Taiwan’s first direct presidential election in March 1996, Taiwan gradually became a sovereign and independent democracy. The Soviet Union had collapsed as well. So, with this in mind, FAPA began to actively advocate for a “one Taiwan, one China policy” in the U.S. Congress because this would reflect the current situation across the Taiwan Strait and affirmed the progress of Taiwan’s democracy.

For FAPA, another potential danger of the “one China policy” was closely related to U.S. interests. The United States had long stationed troops in the Taiwan Strait and East Asia. This way the United States sought to safeguard its strategic security interests. FAPA felt that the U.S. should have a policy that was clear and consistent with the current realities on the ground, rather than adopting a policy that is vague and inconsistent with the international status quo.

​​FAPA held a Congressional luncheon on April 25, 1996, calling upon all Taiwan supporters in the United States to abolish the “One China Policy” and replace it with a “One Taiwan, One China Policy.” The luncheon attracted hundreds of people, including more than a dozen members of Congress, including Representatives Brown, Torricelli, and Senator Lieberman. Rep. Brown then issued a statement stating that with the end of the Cold War and the recent threat posed by China to Taiwan’s security, the United States should recognize that the “one China policy” is unrealistic, outdated, and completely ignored the rights of Taiwan’s people.

President Lee Teng-hui proposed the cross-Strait “special state-to-state relations” in July 1999, breaking the long-standing adherence to the One China mentality. FAPA immediately took action following this development. Congressman Brown proposed a “one Taiwan, one China” resolution in the House on July 29, 1999. The resolution called on the U.S. government to abandon its outdated one China policy and replace it with a “one Taiwan, one China” policy, which would better reflect the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. Congressman Brown also wrote to Secretary of State Madeline Albright twice, calling on her to abandon the vaguely defined U.S. “one China policy” and to not fall into the trap of China’s “one China principle.”

This marked the first time the U.S. Congress adopted a resolution to support the abolition of the “One China Policy,” which is of great significance.

Say Yes to Taiwan

Ever Since Hong Kong’s sovereignty was officially transferred to China in 1997, the international community began speculating about the future of Taiwan. To promote Taiwan as a sovereign country, unlike Hong Kong, FAPA once again emphasized that the future of Taiwan should be determined by the people of Taiwan based on the principle of self-determination. At the request of FAPA, Rep. Deutsch and Steve Chabot (R-OH) introduced a resolution in the House, while Senator Torricelli introduced a similar resolution in the Senate. Both resolutions stated that the handover of Hong Kong to China had no impact on Taiwan’s sovereignty because Taiwan was already a free, sovereign, and independent state. Further, they also emphasized that Taiwan’s future should be decided based on the principle of self-determination in a democratic and peaceful manner—as listed in the United Nations Charter. More than 40 members signed the House resolution in just a few months. Representative Deutsch, the resolution’s sponsor, even cited a Washington Post Op-Ed to convince his colleagues. The Washington Post Op-ed stated that Taiwan’s future, whether it would be unification, confederation, independence, or any other option, should solely be decided by the people of Taiwan.

On June 28, 1997, when Hong Kong’s sovereignty was about to be handed over to China, the “Say No to China, 628 Anti-Chinese annexation” parade was held all over the country at the same time. FAPA specifically assisted former Congressman Solarz, who was invited to participate in the historic march, in holding a press conference in Washington as he departed for Taiwan. Congressman Solarz firmly expressed that the world’s democratic allies should take action to support Taiwan’s democracy and that Taiwan’s dramatic transition from a dictatorship to democracy should receive international support. Representative Brown also issued a written statement, saying that although he was unable to attend the event in person, his distant blessing still represented his firm support for the Taiwanese people.

To further demonstrate the U.S. Congress’ deep concern for Taiwan’s security, the House introduced the “US-Taiwan Joint Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense Cooperation” bill on November 6, 1997. The bill emphasized that it was in the interest of the United States to include Taiwan in the ballistic missile defense system. Furthermore, once the Taiwanese government put forward its demand, the United States must, according to its assessment and consideration, under the pretext of protecting Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and surrounding islands, transfer the appropriate defensive weapons and technologies. The bill also explicitly mentioned that the handover of Hong Kong to China would not change the future of Taiwan. The future of Taiwan must still be determined through democratic processes. The bill also called on the Clinton administration to make clear to the Chinese government that the American people’s commitment to Taiwan’s security and democracy was unshakable. There was a high expectation that the Taiwan Strait issue could be resolved peacefully. The bill passed by an overwhelming majority that very day.

WHO for Taiwan Campaign Kicks Off in the U.S. Congress

Since 1997, FAPA had been taking the lead in cultivating support from the U.S. Congress and from mainstream American society for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization. So, FAPA launched a multi-front campaign to promote Taiwan joining the WHO in 1998.

FAPA first urged Brown, Chabot, and other members of Congress to jointly propose a resolution that supports Taiwan’s participation in the WHO in February 1998. Congressman Brown also issued a Congressional statement calling on his colleagues in the House of Representatives to recognize the urgency and the legitimacy of Taiwan joining the WHO.

At the same time, FAPA adopted a multi-pronged approach. In January 1998, we sent a letter to then WHO director-general Gro Harlem Brundtland, hoping that she could acknowledge that Taiwan had been inappropriately excluded from the organization. FAPA also published articles in major American news outlets, such as The New York Times and The Washington Times, to promote the necessity and the legitimacy of Taiwan’s participation in the WHO.

With the endorsement and support of Chairman Gilman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congress first introduced a resolution on Taiwan’s participation in the WHO, which passed unanimously with 418 to 0 votes. One month after FAPA sent a letter to then Secretary of HHS Donna Shalala, Congressman Brown led more than 50 members of Congress, at the request of FAPA, to jointly sign a letter to the U.S. Secretary. The letter urged Secretary Shalala to speak for Taiwan when she would attend the WHO annual meeting in Geneva in May.

In 1999, FAPA stepped up its campaign to make the congressional resolution passed in 1998 a binding bill. FAPA proposed to Congressman Brown and other Members that they should link the WHO resolution concerning Taiwan’s WHO inclusion to President Clinton’s 1994 commitment to assist Taiwan’s inclusion in other international organizations as laid down in that year’s Taiwan Policy Review. FAPA’s move mainly focused on reducing the harm of Clinton’s “three-no” policy. The 1999 Act also established a precedent among members of Congress to requiring the Secretary of State to submit a written report about assisting Taiwan in joining the WHO. Such a requirement has become the standard norm. Department of State now must submit relevant yearly reports to Congress.

With FAPA’s spirited grassroots campaign, the Senate and House passed the bill without objection in 1999, which was signed into law by President Clinton. Supporting Taiwan’s participation in the WHO had officially become the foreign policy of the United States.

To further assist Taiwan’s arduous journey to join the WHO, Congressman Brown went to the WHO annual meeting in Geneva in 1999 to meet with the Secretary-General of the WHO and the U.S. delegation. He traveled to Geneva as a lobbyist for Taiwan in order to cultivate support for Taiwan from the international community.

Protesting President Clinton’s Three Noes Policy

At the end of June 1998, President Clinton outlined his “Three Noes Policy” while visiting Shanghai. Congress, which had long been a firm supporter of Taiwan, immediately slammed Clinton’s inappropriate remarks with tangible actions. The Senate first passed a resolution with no objection, 92 to 0, reaffirming the U.S. commitment to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act. The House of Representatives then passed a similar resolution, 390 to 1, to strengthen the congressional support for Taiwanese people to practice their right to self-determination and the inclusion of Taiwan in international organizations.

FAPA also mobilized members of Congress to protest against President Clinton by letter or in person that his remarks in Shanghai seriously hurt the U.S. commitment to Taiwan. Congressman Linda Smith (R-WA) said President Clinton’s speech betrayed 22 million Taiwanese living in a democratic society. She also said that the future of Taiwan should be hampered by neither President Clinton nor by Beijing. Taiwan’s future should be decided by the Taiwanese people only, and it was the exclusive right of the Taiwanese government and the people only to make any decision concerning the future of Taiwan.

Taiwan Security Enhancement Act Passed in the House

With the continued expansion and modernization of the Chinese military in the 1990s, the U.S. Congress and the Department of Defense also began to treat China’s military threat and the United States’ strategic interests in East Asia more seriously. The military balance in the Taiwan Strait, which started to shift towards China’s favor, had been extensively discussed by U.S. policymakers. However, since the U.S. government always took the risks associated with deteriorating U.S.-China relations into consideration, there had since been many restrictions that the government itself imposed upon any form of U.S.-Taiwan military cooperation. So the Taiwanese military often struggled with meeting the necessity for modernization in its hardware equipment, new technological development, and personnel training. There was no regular communication channel between the military and high-level officials of the U.S. and Taiwan. If a conflict ever occurred in the Taiwan Strait, it would be difficult for the U.S. and Taiwan militaries to jointly stop China’s military operations.

As a result, Jesse Helms (R-NC), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, and Senator Torricelli jointly proposed the “Taiwan Security Enhancement Act” on March 24, 1999. In the House of Representatives, a similar resolution was subsequently proposed by Republican whip Tom DeLay (R-TX) and Rep. Deutch with twelve other House members on May 18, 1999.

The “Taiwan Security Enhancement Act” focused on the U.S. Taiwan exchange of hardware weapons, equipment, and software technology. In addition to stating that the United States should sell Taiwan’s submarines, anti-submarine equipment, and other high-tech defense weapons, this bill mainly emphasized enhancing military exchanges and dialogue between Taiwan and the United States. The bill also urged further U.S. assistance in training Taiwanese officers while requiring the U.S. president to submit an annual report on arms sales to Taiwan. Other provisions included requiring the U.S. Secretary of Defense to put forward different plans concerning Taiwan-U.S. military training and exchange, the security status of the Taiwan Strait, and emergency response measures in the case of a military crisis. Lastly, the bill required the Department of Defense to establish a temporary direct communication channel between Taiwan and the U.S. military that was intended to provide the U.S. military with a means of coordinating military cooperation with Taiwan in case of an emergency. The bill also touched on the right of the people of Taiwan to self-determination.

The “Taiwan Security Enhancement Act” was the most important U.S. bill on Taiwan since the Taiwan Relations Act was enacted in 1979. If successfully passed, Taiwan-US relations would be substantially improved in an all-around manner.

The “Taiwan Security Enhancement Act” was finally passed in the House of Representatives on February 1, 2000, by a 341-70 vote.

Taiwanese American Heritage Week

The “Asia Pacific Heritage Month” is celebrated every May in the U.S. Ethnic groups from the Asia-Pacific region hold various activities to celebrate the traditional culture of the Asian-Pacific ethnic group and their contributions to American society. To ensure that the American public would have a better understanding of Taiwanese Americans, FAPA had designated the week of Mother’s Day in May as “Taiwanese American Heritage Week” since 1999 with a proclamation by President Clinton. Nowadays, “Taiwanese American Heritage Week” is annually celebrated around the U.S. It is the best occasion for Taiwanese people to introduce Taiwan’s culture, geography, and customs to the mainstream U.S. public. Many members of Congress proposed resolutions, issued statements, or even visit celebration venues in person to congratulate and recognize the outstanding contributions of Taiwanese Americans to American society.

Witnessing the Peaceful Transfer of Power in Taiwan and Supporting the Elected President’s Visit to the U.S.

In 2000, the Taiwanese people ended 50 years of the Kuomintang’s one-party rule through the power of our votes. It marked the first peaceful transfer of power in Taiwan. Taiwan’s democracy reached a new milestone.

To assist Taiwan’s second direct presidential election without China’s interference and intervention, under the suggestion of FAPA, Congressman Deutsch jointly proposed a resolution on March 9, 2000, with 33 colleagues, stating that the Taiwanese people had the right to elect their presidents without Chinese interference.

At the invitation of FAPA, several members of Congress expressed their support for the Taiwanese people directly through video recordings, stating that the U.S. government should continue to work with the Taiwanese people no matter who is their elected president. They also said that the Taiwanese people should not be intimidated by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji.

After the presidential election results were announced on March 18, 2000, more than 40 senators and Representatives immediately sent their congratulations to newly elected President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien.

When President Chen Shui-bian tried to make his first transit through the U.S in August 2000, because of China’s obstruction, the U.S. government succumbed to China’s pressure. The U.S. government did not give President Chen the courtesy of crossing the border, which caused an intense backlash in the U.S. Congress. Representative Sam Gejdenson (D-CT) led nearly 50 other members of Congress to introduce a resolution to criticize China’s interference in the internal affairs of the United States. In the resolution, they expressed their support for the idea that Taiwan’s democratically elected leaders should be free to visit the United States without restrictions. Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) proposed a similar resolution in the Senate with several colleagues protesting against the Clinton administration’s move to kowtow to China.

Promoting visits by high-level Taiwanese officials, including the President and Vice President, to the United States since became one of FAPA’s priorities.