For Immediate Release
Washington DC – June 27, 2003
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Resolution Urges The PRC To Withdraw Its Missiles From Fukien Province
Late last night, seven Representatives led by Congressman Robert Andrews (D-NJ) and Congressman Joel Hefley (R-CO) -vice-chair of the House Armed Services Committee- introduced a resolution (H.Con.Res.232) calling upon the PRC to withdraw its missiles that are currently positioned in its coastal province of Fukien and which are targeted at Taiwanese shore, and to renounce the use of force against Taiwan. The introduction of the resolution comes on the fifty-fourth anniversary of a momentous occasion in U.S.-Taiwan relations. On June 27th, 1949, President Harry S. Truman dispatched the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet to protect Taiwan from a possible invasion by Communist China.
The resolution concludes that
1) Congress has grave concerns about the PRC’s deployment of hundreds of ballistic missiles directed towards Taiwan, which threaten security and stability in the Taiwan Strait;
2) The President should direct all appropriate United States officials to raise these concerns with Chinese officials and should seek from the leaders of the PRC a public and immediate unequivocal renunciation of any threat or use of force against Taiwan.”
It continues:
4) If China does not dismantle the missiles that threaten Taiwan, the President should release the Aegis system to Taiwan enabling Taiwan to defend itself against the threat of a missile attack by China;
5) The United States maintains that the future of Taiwan shall be determined peacefully and with the express consent of the people of Taiwan.”
FAPA President, Ming-chi Wu, Ph.D., states: “The introduction of this resolution is another step towards addressing an issue of grave concern to all Taiwanese. It is utterly unacceptable that the people of Taiwan live their daily lives with a gun pointed to their heads. They have a right to live in peace, without this constant military threat.”
Wu continues: “The resolution concludes that the future of Taiwan must be determined peacefully, with the express consent of the people of Taiwan. A democratic mechanism such as a plebiscite would be best. The U.S. is the main crusader for freedom and democracy around the world and can therefore ill afford to tell the people of Taiwan not to hold a referendum. There can be no double standard when it comes to exercising democracy.”
眾議院引進決議案，呼籲中國撤除福建省沿海飛彈
紐澤西州民主黨議員安德魯斯(Robert Andrews, D-NJ)，眾議院軍事委員會副主席Joel Hefley (R-CO)與Dan Burton (R-IN), , Mike Pence (R-IN), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Mark Souder (R-IN), David Wu (D-OR)等七位議員，於昨晚聯合引進一決議案 (HCR 232)，要求中國政府撤除其部署在福建省沿海，以台灣為主要攻擊目標的數百枚中短程彈道飛彈；決議案並要求中國公開放棄武力犯台的政策。眾議院特地選在昨日，適逢台美關係中一重大歷史事件54週年紀念日提出。54年前，也就是1949年的6月27日，當時的美國總統杜魯門(Harry S. Truman)為防止中國赤軍的侵略，特地派遣美軍第七艦隊協防台灣，以遏止台灣淪入中國共產黨手中的可能性。
決議案首先列舉出一連串台灣安全受到中國軍事威脅的實例，例如數百枚佈署於其沿海的中短程飛彈，自俄國不斷購買如蘇愷27與30戰鬥機或是潛水艇等攻擊性武器，以及1995年、1996年飛彈試射危機。決議案接著引用國務卿鮑爾、西太平洋艦隊指揮長布萊爾等人於國會聽證會上的證詞，以突顯中國軍事威脅的急迫性與美國對保障台灣安全的重視。決議案最後則達成以下決議：美國國會對於中國沿海數百枚瞄準台灣，並且影響台海安全與穩定的彈道飛彈表示嚴重關切；美國總統應指示所有美官員向中國官員表達此項關切，並尋求中國領導人公開、盡速且清楚放棄對台用武的聲明；如果中國不拆除在其沿海的飛彈，美國總統應出售神盾級驅逐艦，以協助台灣自衛，抵禦來自中國的飛彈威脅；美國繼續支持台灣前途在和平的方式下解決，並終須得到台灣人民的同意。
台灣公共事務會(FAPA)吳明基表示：「覆巢之下無完卵，這項決議案點出了攸關台灣人民利益的最重要議題──國家安全。四百枚瞄準台灣的彈道飛彈猶如一把槍頂在台灣人民穴頭上。台灣人民有權利過著和平的生活，而不是這種時時刻刻受到軍事威脅、活在恐懼之下的生活。中國數百枚不斷增加當中的中、短程飛彈不僅威脅到台灣二千三百萬人民的安全，更是造成台灣海峽不穩定的始作俑者，進而影響到美國及亞洲鄰近國家的安全利益，這也是為什麼安德魯斯議員等人如此關切這個議題，並在今日引進這個決議案。」
吳明基接著表示：「台灣人民不僅應該在不受恐懼的前提之下，自由地決定台灣前途之外，誠如議員們在決議中所支持的，台灣前途更應該在和平且尊重台灣人民的意願的情況下作決定。類似公民投票這樣的民主機制將會是個合適的方式。美國是世界上捍衛自由與民主的十字軍，怎麼能夠告訴台灣人民不要舉行全民公投呢？民主的實踐不應該有雙重標準的！」
H.Con.Res.232
