For Immediate Release
Washington DC – February 2, 2005
Contact: (202) 547-3686
U.S. House of Representatives Passes Legislation In Opposition of EU’s Plans to Lift Its Arms Embargo on People’s Republic of China
On February 2, 2005, the House of Representatives passed H.Res.57 with an overwhelming vote of 411 against 3, “urging the European Union to maintain its arms embargo on the People’s Republic of China.” The resolution was introduced yesterday by chairman of the House International Relations Committee Henry Hyde (R-IL), ranking Member on the Committee Tom Lantos (D-CA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI)
The resolution refers to the PRC missile build-up in Fukien province: “Whereas for several years the People’s Republic of China has also been engaged in an extensive military buildup in its air, naval, land, and outer space systems, including the deployment of approximately 500 short range ballistic missiles near the Taiwan Strait according to the Department of Defense’s Report on the Military Power of the People’s Republic of China for Fiscal Year 2004.” It also states that the PRC military expansion constitutes a threat not only to US forces in the region, but also to “United States commitments and interests related to the defense of numerous friends and allies in the region, particularly Taiwan and Japan, and regional stability more broadly.”
The resolution also does not hold back on condemning China’s preference to use force to solve disputes, and it points out clearly that the security of Taiwan is in the U.S. national interest. “The United States has numerous national interests in the Asia-Pacific region, including the security of Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and other key areas, and the United States Armed Forces which are deployed throughout the region could be jeopardized by the PRC because it is increasingly well-armed and may seek to settle long-standing territorial and political disputes in the region by the threat or use of military force.”
The resolution, while non-binding, requests “the President in his forthcoming meeting with European leaders to urge that they reconsider this unwise course of action.” It further requests that the President “inform Congress of the outcome of his discussions with European leaders on this subject and to keep “Congress fully and currently informed of all developments in this regard.”
Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) issued a statement in support of the resolution, stating: “I support this embargo, as I believe it helps ensure peace in the region and deters China from the use of arms against Taiwan. In the world we live in we should strive to ensure peace, liberty and democracy.”
FAPA President Ming-chi Wu, Ph.D. states: “According to our sources the lifting of the Chinese Arms Embargo by the EU is not a matter of “if” but of “when.” The trend towards lifting the embargo seems hard to stop.”
He adds: “We understand that Congress passed this resolution today giving President Bush a political message to show to the Europeans later this month, during his Europe trip. Depending on how the Europeans react, we at FAPA will consider seeking the introduction of additional legislative measures that might be more forceful, trying to stop this ship from further sinking. Because a lifting of the embargo will have devastating implications to American interests in the region and to the security of future generations of Taiwanese to come.”
美眾議院高票通過決議案，呼籲歐盟繼續維持對中國軍售禁令
美眾議院於今日以411票對3票，高票通過第57號決議案(H.RES.57)，呼籲歐盟繼續維持對中國的軍售禁令。此決議案是在昨日由國際關係委員會主席海德(Henry Hyde, R-IL)，聯合其他三位國關委員會成員，包括日前訪台的民主黨資深委員會成員藍托斯(Tom Lantos, D-CA)，蘿斯列敦娜(Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-FL)，與麥卡特(Thaddeus McCotter, R-MI)，共同引進。
此決議案綜括美國反對歐盟解除對中國軍售限制的各項原因，但是將重點著墨在美國的東亞戰略安全利益，明白指出美國的利益以及其對維持東亞和平與穩定的承諾，將因歐盟解除對中國的軍售限制受到嚴重威脅，台灣安全即是其中一例。
「根據美國國防部2004年中國軍力研究報告，過去幾年來，中國積極提昇其空，海，陸與太空方面的軍事裝備，包括在臨近台灣海峽地區佈署五百枚的短程彈道飛彈。」決議案接著表示，中國的軍事擴張不僅對美國在當地駐軍構成挑戰，「美國對於其當地友邦與盟友的承諾與利益，尤其是台灣與日本，以及區域穩定」，都一併受到威脅。
決議案也亳不隱藏其對中國可能使用武力的疑慮：「美國在亞太地區有著諸多國家利益，包括日本、台灣、南韓及其他重要地區，加上美國在當地的駐軍，都有可能因此受到中國的威脅，因為中國的軍力將逐漸增強，而且可能使用威脅或武力的方式來解決長期的領土與政治紛爭。」
決議案最後並要求布希總統在即將啓程的歐洲之旅中，呼籲歐洲領導人重新考慮這個不智之舉；並要求布希總統自歐洲返國後，告知國會他與歐洲領導人就此議題的會晤結果，並全盤與隨時知會國會這個議題的最新動態。
對台灣一向友好的加州眾議員索拉絲(Hilda Solis, D-CA)也特地發表聲明，她的聲明表示：「我支持這個禁運限制，因為我相信這將會確保區域和平，並嚇阻中國武力犯台。在這個世界，我們應該奮力確保和平、自由與民主。」
FAPA會長吳明基表示：「根據多方消息，歐盟解除對中國的軍售限制已經不是『會不會』，而是『什麼時候』。看來這似乎對台灣是個凶多吉少的消息。不過，FAPA定將繼續敦促美國國會就此議題繼續抗議。」
吳明基接著表示：「美國國會今天通個第57號決議案，主要的用意是讓即將在下週出訪歐洲的布希總統能夠帶著這個『政治訊息』，向歐洲領導人表達美國國會對這個議題的嚴重關切之意。現在就等布希的歐洲之旅成果如何，FAPA在近日已與數位國會友人積極聯絡，不排除在布希總統返國後，就這個議題引進類似文字但是具有法律效力的議案。因為，歐盟一旦解除對中國軍售的禁令限制，不僅美國在亞太地區的利益受到嚴重威脅之外，台灣後代子子孫孫的安全保障都將受到無法挽回的偒害。」
H.Res.57
