| HCON 262 IH 106th
CONGRESS
2d
Session
H.
CON. RES. 262
Expressing the sense of Congress on the accession of
Taiwan to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
IN
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 2, 2000
Ms. DUNN (for
herself, Mr. BEREUTER, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. MORAN of
Virginia, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. ROGAN, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr.
ENGLISH, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, and Mr. DELAY) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the
sense of Congress on the accession of Taiwan to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Whereas in 1992,
GATT's Council of Representatives decided to establish a separate working party to examine
the request for accession of Taiwan to GATT;
Whereas Taiwan is
the seventh largest trading partner of the United States and the seventh largest foreign
market for the United States;
Whereas the
amount of United States goods purchased by Taiwan is nearly twice as large as the amount
of United States goods purchased by the People's Republic of China;
Whereas the
United States completed its bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan a full year before it
signed a trade agreement with the People's Republic of China;
Whereas the
United States has long sought to build closer ties with, and ensure global credibility
for, governments who ascribe to our ideals of freedom and democracy;
Whereas the
President's 1994 policy review of Taiwan recommended that the United States support
Taiwan's participation in international organizations that do not require statehood; and
Whereas Taiwan's
accession to the WTO will contribute to the prosperity of all other member countries: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by
the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of
Congress that--
(1)
immediately upon approval of the accession of the People's Republic of China to the World
Trade Organization (WTO), the United States representative to the WTO should request that
the WTO General Council consider Taiwan's accession to the WTO as the next order of
business of the Council during the same session on the same calendar day; and
(2) the United
States should be prepared to aggressively counter any effort by any WTO member country,
upon the accession of the People's Republic of China to the WTO, to block the accession of
Taiwan to the WTO. |
