For Immediate Release
Washington DC – February 17, 2005
Contact: (202) 547-3686
U.S. Representative Introduces Legislation Strongly Opposing China’s Anti-Secession Law
An hour day before Congress adjourned for a weeklong recess, co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) introduced H.Con.Res.70 concluding that “the United States should strongly oppose the Anti-Secession Legislation of the People’s Republic of China, as it will alter the status quo in the region and thus is of grave concern to the United States.”
Furthermore, the resolution concludes that “the President of the United States should direct all appropriate United States Government officials to reflect the grave concern with which the United States views the enactment of the Anti-Secession Legislation to their counterpart officials in the Government of the People’s Republic of China.”
Finally, the resolution concludes that “the Government of the United States should reaffirm that the future of Taiwan should be resolved by peaceful means and with the consent of the people of Taiwan.”
Several Members of Congress have expressed their intent to immediately co-sponsor the resolution.
FAPA President Ming-chi Wu, Ph.D. says: “The danger the ASL will bring to the status quo and stability in the Taiwan Strait is explicitly spelled out in this resolution. The introduction of the resolution today affirms that Members of Congress are very concerned about the threat the ASL poses just like many pundits in this town and the Taiwanese government are.”
Wu continues, “The ASL will give the Beijing government a free pass to wildly interpret this law once it is passed by the National People’s Congress in March.
Wu concludes, “It is no coincidence that when the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress passed the proposed Anti-Secession law, Beijing at the same time released its 2004 Defense White Paper vowing to “crush Taiwan” if necessary. It has long been United States policy to support a peaceful resolution of the cross-strait stalemate with the express consent of the people of Taiwan. The ASL does exactly the opposite.”
美眾議院引進決議案，強烈反對中國反分裂國家法
在眾議院即將進入休會階段的前夕，眾議院台灣連線共同主席之一夏波(Steve Chabot, R-OH)於今日提出第70號決議案，強烈反對中國這個「改變台海現狀，因而為美國所嚴重關切」的反分裂國家法。
夏波議員在這個決議案裡表示，中國將藉由此法片面改變台現狀，而美國政策則是反對台海任何一方片面改變台現狀。此決議案並引用台灣關係法來強調美國對台灣的安全承諾；此外，決議案裡表示，任何以非和平方式，並未獲得台灣人民同意來解決台灣前途的意圖都將為美國所嚴重關切。
決議案最後則表示美國政府應該強烈反對中國的反分裂國家法，因為它將改變台海現狀，為美國所嚴重關切；而且美國總統應指示美國政府相關人員向中國政府官員表達美國的嚴重關切；美國政府並應重申台灣前途終須和平解決，並獲得台灣人民的同意；最後，美國政府應該繼續鼓勵台灣與中國的對話。
由於許多眾議員已經公開表示嚴重關切中國的反分裂國家法，第70號決議案可望快速獲得議員們的支持聯署。
FAPA會長吳明基表示：「反分裂國家法對於區域現狀以及穩定帶來危險，這個決議案表達地一清二楚。決議案的引進，證明了美國國會議員與華府許多專家和台灣政府一樣，都預見了反分裂國家法將帶來的威脅。」
吳明基繼續表示：「反分裂國家法可以說是給北京政府一個自由通行證，讓他們可以漫天詮釋這個即將在三月份中國人民大會上通過的法律，使中國武力犯台『合法化』。」
吳明基表示：「中國人大常委會在去年通過反分裂國家法時，北京在同一時間也公佈了2004年的國防白皮書，白皮書裡提及將在必要時刻『粉碎』台灣，這個時間點上絕對不會是巧合。美國長期以來的政策就是台海問題和平解決，並須得到台灣人民的同意。中國的反分裂國家法只是背道而馳罷了。」
H.Con.Res.70