Participation of Taiwan in the International Criminal Police Organization

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the chairman of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, Congressman Matt Salmon, for introducing this important resolution.

Taiwan is indeed a strong ally of the United States, one which shares our interests and values, including an enduring commitment to democracy and the freedom of expression.

Taiwan is a beacon of freedom in the Pacific, serving as an inspiration for the world's oppressed, and it serves as a model for future democratic transitions. Unfortunately, however, Taiwan is under increasing pressure from an aggressive China that is attempting to assert its dominance in the Pacific and to isolate Taiwan on the international stage. One organization that China has prevented Taiwan from joining is INTERPOL, the International Criminal Police Organization.

INTERPOL was created, Mr. Speaker, to promote international cooperation between criminal police authorities; but because of undue Chinese pressure, Taiwan is no longer a member of INTERPOL. Taiwan is forced to receive less effective, secondhand information about international criminals and their illicit activities. Likewise, Taiwan cannot share the law enforcement information that it gathers in order to benefit INTERPOL.

In China's efforts to exclude Taiwan and in the efforts of some nations to accommodate China, they have ended up hurting Taiwan and the entire international community in the process.

So we have this bill before us, Mr. Speaker. This bill by Congressman Salmon directs the President to request observer status for Taiwan at INTERPOL, to urge other INTERPOL members to support it, and for the President to develop a strategy to ensure the participation of Taiwan.

I am pleased to support this legislation. I believe that the United States should be helping Taiwan's meaningful participation in all international organizations and entities in which it has expressed an interest in participating.

Taiwan's exclusion from organizations like INTERPOL is dangerous. It is a dangerous practice. It hurts the international community just as much as it hurts the people of Taiwan.

We must not allow U.N. politics or China's efforts to isolate Taiwan to exclude it from international organizations. It is, therefore, crucial that the United States provide the kind of military assistance, economic assistance, and political assistance that will allow Taiwan to resist any type of Chinese coercion.

The Taiwan Relations Act, together with the Six Assurances are the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations, and we must always keep it as our guiding beacon. I know that this is a sentiment that is greatly shared by the members of our Foreign Affairs Committee and by the chairman of our committee, Mr. Royce of California, because the friendship between the people of the United States and Taiwan has cemented into one of the most cherished partnerships. I look forward to the United States Government demonstrating its continued commitment to the people of Taiwan with the passage of Mr. Salmon's bill.

I want to thank, again, Chairman Salmon for introducing this important resolution. I am pleased to offer my support, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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