January 22, 1996 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S283 forgotten and I will do whatever I can has bullied the Philippines over contested is- power to a collection of reformers who them- to ensure the days of the back-alley lands in the South China Sea, twice con- selves squandered the chance for real change. abortion, a virtual death sentence for ducted missile tests in the waters off Tai- Today the LDP is back in a cynical misalli- women, remain a tragic thing of the wan, resumed irresponsible weapons trans- ance with its nemesis, the socialists, whom fers and imposed its own choice as the re- it hopes to shortly expel. past. Let today remind us that, for now incarnated Panchen Lama, the second most When does that leave us? With the Bur- at least, the law is on our side. important religious figure in Tibet. Mean- mese, or the Indonesian generals, or perhaps I urge President Clinton to join us while, as The Times’s Patrick Tyler reports, Thailand, where politicians are so corrupt today in commemorating this land- influential military commanders have begun they stay out of jail? mark anniversary. And I respectfully pushing for military action against Taiwan Reading the Mainland press, Taiwan’s re- request that he deliver on his promise and turned to confrontational rhetoric cent peaceful, multiparty elections never to veto H.R. 1833. The women of this against the United States. happened. No mention—the dog that didn’t country are counting on him to do Washington has minimized these provo- bark. A decade ago, the phrase ‘‘Taiwanese what is right. I know he will not let us cations, setting them in the larger perspec- democracy’’ would have been rightly dis- tive of China’s encouraging economic re- down.∑ missed as an oxymoron, though compared to forms and Washington’s hopes for political Mao’s mainland, the island republic was f liberalization. That was the same logic that widely seen as an economic miracle. led the Administration, early last year, to CHINA’S CHALLENGE TO Ironically, it is this economic strength abandon its efforts to link trade privileges today—$100 billion in hard currency reserves WASHINGTON for China to Beijing’s record on human and America’s ninth-largest trading part- ∑ Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, the New rights, arguing that anything that helped ner—that has obscured Taiwan’s political China’s booming economy would ultimately York Times had an excellent editorial evolution. The late Generalissimo Chiang titled ‘‘China’s Challenge to Wash- advance political freedom as well. It is working out that way. The 19 months Kai-shek’s Kuomingtang single-party rule, ington.’’ was replaced by his son and successor Chiang There is a reluctance to be forceful since that policy change have been marked by a serious deterioration in China’s respon- Ching-kuo, who created a supportive envi- with China on the issue of human siveness on human rights and other issues. ronment for democratic pluralism before he rights. Discouragingly, this seems to be happening died in 1988. Martial law was lifted, opposi- When I say ‘‘forceful,’’ I do not mean not simply because a new generation of lead- tion parties were legalized, press restrictions the use of force, but the willingness to ers is maneuvering to succeed the failing were eliminated and it was agreed that stand forthright for what this country Deng Xiaoping. Nationalist military officers Chiang’s successor would not be a member of are steadily gaining political influence, and the family or even a transplanted main- should stand for. lander. Instead President Lee Teng-hui is a We turn a cold shoulder to our the two top civilian leaders, President Jiang Zimen and Prime Minister Li Peng, seem native Taiwanese so far determined to fur- friends in Taiwan, where they have a ther reform by supporting younger, Taiwan- multiparty system, and seem to quake committed advocates of political repression. That suggests the newly belligerent policies born politicians as leaders of the KMT. every time China is unhappy with may not be just a transitional phase, or a something someone says or does. sign or insecurity in the leadership group, as In the last eight years, three legislative As the editorial suggests, we should some China scholars in the West have said. elections have been held, each time with ‘‘respond far more sharply to Wei The Clinton Administration, having done slowly shrinking KMT majorities. The old Jingsheng’s sentence.’’ all it reasonably could to smooth relations, National Assembly dominated by KMT geri- I am pleased to back this administra- including an October meeting between Presi- atrics has been mercifully stripped of its tion when they are right, as in Bosnia, dents Clinton and Jiang, now needs to recog- powers. Direct presidential elections will be but I also believe that we should be nize that a less indulgent policy is required held for the first time in Chinese history much stronger in setting forth our be- to encourage more responsible behavior by next March. China. The first step is to respond far more liefs as far as the abuses in China. I ask Literally nowhere in Asia, except Taiwan, sharply to Wei Jingsheng’s sentence, begin- has a ruling party allowed itself to be that the editorial from the New York ning with a concerted diplomatic drive to eclipsed. Nowhere has the attack on political Times be printed in the RECORD after condemn China before the United Nations corruption been so singleminded as it is in my remarks. Human Rights Commission next March. U.N. Taiwan. Vote fraud, unlike Thailand and Along the same line, Stefan Halper, condemnation would be an international em- Korea, has been almost eliminated. Vote host of NETE television’s ‘‘Worldwise’’ barrassment for China, one it desperately buying in the recent Dec. 2 poll has been re- and a former White House and State wants to avoid. duced to rural areas and to a level that Department official, recently had an Another step is to oppose non-humani- would boggle the minds of most Japanese op-ed piece in the Washington Times tarian World Bank loans to China, as already and Thai voters. provided for under United States law. Some At present, the KMT holds a six-seat ma- titled ‘‘Taiwan’s Unheralded Political Administration officials also want to con- Evolution,’’ which I ask to be printed jority in the legislature. Sessions will con- sider human rights issues in judging China’s tinue to be raucous, often undignified—not in the RECORD following my remarks application to join the new World Trade Or- unlike the 19th century U.S. Congress or for and after the New York Times edi- ganization, even though that is likely to that matter Congress today, recall the torial. bring objections from other W.T.O. members. Moran-Hunter fight a few weeks ago—but so The reality is democracy has grown The Administration still refuses to recon- what? The opposition has strengthened as and is thriving in Taiwan, and we sider the simpler, more obvious step of re- the exhausted Nationalists confront the re- should recognize that in our policies. storing a link between trade and human ality of an increasingly pluralist Taiwan. rights. In this critically important diplo- The material follows: Though Democratic politics is often a mat- matic game, the United States may no ter of shades of ugly, the alternatives in CHINA’S CHALLENGE TO WASHINGTON longer be able to deny itself the leverage Asia—both left and right—are vastly less at- If the United States intends to develop a that link could bring. tractive. Why the, despite Taiwan’s effort, relationship of mutual respect with China, it [From the Washington Times, Dec. 13, 1995] must defend its interests as vigorously as has it’s progress been ignored? Are American TAIWAN’S UNHERALDED POLITICAL EVOLUTION Beijing does. Now is the time, for China has interests served by recognizing and nur- shown a dangerous new bellicosity in mat- (By Stefan Halper) turing democratic growth—or has some ters from human rights to military threats. In an era that believes America’s future blend of security and mercantile priorities Last week Beijing again showed its con- lies in Asia, what is the Asian democratic cast our lot with the Mainland? The Clinton tempt for the rights of Chinese citizens by model? Singapore and Malaysia are single administration, still struggling with this convicting Wei Jingsheng of sedition and party states refreshed a bit by economic Wilson-Rossevelt policy cleavage, has said sentencing him to 14 years in prison. The ac- freedom. Hong Kong, still a colony, has late- nothing on the subject, even while embar- tivities the court cited included organizing ly been given a measure of self-government— rassing itself before and after Lee Teng-hui’s art exhibitions to benefit democracy and which Americans of 1770 would have summer address at Cornell, his alma mater. writing articles that advocated Tibet’s inde- scorned—only to be swallowed whole by the Yet in the hall of mirrors that passes for pendence. This heavy-handed muzzling of the not-so-democratic People’s Republic of Taiwan’s politics, the Nationalist Party- country’s leading dissenter is a measure of China in little more than 18 months. South KMT reflects its belief in ‘‘One China’’ while the Chinese belief that America and other Korea? It’s dominated by a government the opposition New Party, with 13.5 percent Western countries will not make them pay a party whose last president is now up on of the vote, is even more forceful on the sub- diplomatic or economic price for the abuse of charges of stealing $600 million—give or take ject. And as for the Democratic Progressive human rights. a couple of hundred million. Party (DPP), it is split on the issue with the Chinese behavior has been equally provoca- Japan, for 38 years, has been run by a cor- majority having muted the call for independ- tive in other fields. In recent months Beijing rupt single party (the LDP) only to cede ence. Maybe the mean Chinese uncle in

VerDate Aug 31 2005 04:22 Jun 20, 2008 Jkt 041999 PO 00000 Frm 00113 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 J:\ODA16\1996_F~1\S22JA6.REC S22JA6 mmaher on MIKETEMP with SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS S284 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 22, 1996 Beijing, implacably opposed to the island-na- The special financial breaks that cer- ment and through private and nonprofit en- tion’s existence, succeeded with this mus- tain corporations get should not be a terprise financing to spur new industries. cular diplomacy—missile tests, mock land- barrier to an improved life for the citi- Young’s proposal would also, for the first ings and war games. After all, the stock mar- zens of Puerto Rico, and that is the re- time, subject island residents to federal tax- ket dipped and successionist politicians had ation. Combined with the $3 billion savings limited resonance during the election. ality today. from ending the 936 tax credit, this would So why are the mandarins in Beijing wor- The op-ed follows: mean that the U.S. Treasury would see no ried? Perhaps it is because on the heels of [From the Washington Post] diminution in revenues. Hong Kong’s democratic election that saw THE STATE OF PUERTO RICO Many statehood advocates balk at this the defeat of pro-Mainland candidates, Tai- (By Charles A. Rodriguez) ‘‘halfway’’ solution to securing first-class wan has emerged as the Asian democratic citizenship for Puerto Ricans. They maintain Two years ago, when Puerto Rico voted to model; and the first successful, full-blown that economic equality would weaken efforts remain a U.S. commonwealth—again reject- democracy in five millennia of Chinese his- to achieve political equality through a 51st ing statehood—many thought the issue was tory, underscores the difficulty of reunion star. In other words, total economic and po- settled for years to come. In fact, the plebi- with China. Or perhaps the mandarins in the litical equality or nothing. scite raised more questions than it resolved. Forbidden City realize that their options Other point to the absurdity of Puerto The vote exposed the undue influence of have narrowed; that the use of force against Ricans agreeing to pay more taxes while ev- discredited economic arrangements on the Taiwan would be a disaster for U.S.-China re- eryone else is looking to reduce theirs. But island’s political process and the myth of lations and U.S. credibility and, most of all, the fact is that we already have high tax commonwealth autonomy, both cornerstones would tear the web of Asian security and rates in Puerto Rico. They’re necessary to fi- of our second-class U.S. citizenship. Today economic relationships that have sustained nance activities typically provided elsewhere proponents of the status quo are on the de- China’s and the region’s growth. We shall by the federal government. It’s safe to as- fensive in both Puerto Rico and in Wash- see.∑ sume that as program costs are shifted to ington. Washington, Puerto Ricans will see little f The plebiscite was held as the Clinton ad- change in their tax burden. ministration sought repeal of Section 936 of SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY NATIONAL Nonetheless, revision of 936 might accel- the federal tax code, which exempts U.S. FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP erate the movement to statehood: No longer companies’ Puerto Rican operations from would 936 companies have a vested interest ∑ Mr. BREAUX. Mr. President, I would federal taxation—a subsidy that has cost the in maintaining the status quo. like to take this opportunity to con- Treasury nearly $70 billion since 1973. Given today’s economic and political cli- Faced with immediate loss of their lucra- gratulate Southern University of mate, Puerto Rico may face the same hard tive tax break or eventual termination if is- Baton Rouge, LA, for winning this choice under option: cut programs or raise landers voted for statehood, companies spent year’s historically black college na- taxes. But as a colony deprived of Wash- millions of dollars fending off Congress while tional football championship. With ington representation we will have no say in cajoling workers to vote against statehood the discussions leading up to that fateful de- their victory in the Heritage Bowl on or else face job losses and plant relocations. December 29, 1995, the Jaguars of Meanwhile, status quo proponents cam- cision. Southern University won their sixth paigned for ‘‘enhanced commonwealth,’’ re- It’s no wonder that 2.5 million Puerto national football title and their first plete with promises of expanded political au- Ricans have left the island for the mainland tonomy and parity with the 50 states in the knowing that the political and economic since 1960. benefits of statehood far outweigh the bur- The Jaguars, who finished the season financing of federal programs—all this while preserving the immunity of Puerto Rico’s 3.7 dens of federal taxation. We share their am- with an 11–0 record, captured the na- bition to be full-fledged Americans here at tional title in a 30 to 25 victory over million U.S. citizens from federal taxation. Despite the cacophony of economic dema- home, just as we always have shared with all Florida A&M in the Georgia Dome in goguery and ‘‘something for nothing’’ hyper- U.S. citizens the duty to defend democracy ∑ Atlanta. bole, commonwealth failed for the first time abroad. I would like to especially congratu- in 40 years to get an outright majority. It f late Coach Pete Richardson, his staff, won with a plurality of 48.6 percent, against and an outstanding group of players for 46.3 percent for statehood and 5.1 percent for PROVIDING FOR PROVISIONAL AP- all the hard work and effort they put independence. Compare this narrow margin of victory with that of 1952 (68 percent) and PROVAL OF OFFICE OF COMPLI- into making this a championship sea- ANCE REGULATIONS son. Your undefeated record and na- that of 1967 (21 percent), and the tide against tional title are bright examples of the the status quo becomes unmistakable. The Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unan- false promise behind the alternative of ‘‘en- rewards of teamwork and determina- imous consent the Rules Committee be hanced commonwealth’’ will do nothing to discharged from further consideration tion. Thank you for bringing another stem it. For given its current budget-cutting national championship to Baton Rouge exercises, Congress is clearly in no mood to of House Concurrent Resolution 123 and for making Louisiana proud.∑ maintain even current levels of federal fund- and, further, that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. f ing for Puerto Rico programs, much less ante up the additional $3 billion to $4 billion The PRESIDING OFFICER. The THE STATE OF PUERTO RICO necessary to bring them up to par with the clerk will report. ∑ Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, Senator states. The legislative clerk read as follows: Meanwhile, a groundswell of public opinion Charles A. Rodriguez, the majority A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 123) has arisen in Washington against preserving to provide for the provisional approval of leader of the Puerto Rico Senate, re- ‘‘corporate welfare.’’ That’s why Section 936 regulations applicable to certain covered em- cently had an op ed piece in the Wash- is again under review, as it should be: It has ploying offices and covered employees and to ington Post that speaks with candor made the island dependent on the whims of be issued by the Office of Compliance before about our fellow Americans from Puer- Congress and has stifled alternative eco- January 23rd, 1996. to Rico. We should be paying attention nomic development schemes. to his words, which I ask to be printed Worse, as now constituted, 936 has failed to The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there in the RECORD. generate the jobs and capital investment objection to the immediate consider- The reality is that commonwealth that were its reasons for being. Witness our ation of the concurrent resolution? chronic unemployment rate, which is twice status—supported strongly by powerful There being no objection, the Senate the mainland’s, and our per capita income, proceeded to consider the concurrent American corporations who benefit half of Mississippi’s. from it financially—is simply another Revision of 936 could present Puerto Rico resolution. form of old-fashioned colonialism. with opportunities to attain significant new Mr. DOLE. I ask unanimous consent Puerto Ricans should have the rights economic and political objectives; full par- that the concurrent resolution be that Americans have in our 50 States. ticipation and parity in all federal programs, agreed to, the motion to reconsider be Eventually, Puerto Rico will either sustained economic growth and, eventually, laid upon the table, and any state- go independent or become a State. statehood. ments related to the concurrent resolu- From the viewpoint of our 50 States Rep. Don Young (R–Alaska), chairman of tion be placed at the appropriate place the House Resources Committee, has floated in the RECORD. and from the viewpoint of the people of one promising proposal toward these ends. In Puerto Rico, statehood makes much exchange for ending 936 he would phase in The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without more sense. full state-like programs for Puerto Rico and objection, it is so ordered. But that is a decision they have to encourage private-sector growth through The concurrent resolution (H. Con. make. capital grants for infrastructure develop- Res. 123) was agreed to.

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