National Day for the Republic of China of Taiwan

Floor Speech

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on October 3, 2012, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, located in Washington, DC, will be celebrating the 101st National Day of the Republic of China on Taiwan at the beautiful Twin Oaks Estate. I rise today in advance of this celebration to offer my continued praise and support of the U.S.-Taiwanese relationship and to acknowledge the good work of Jason Yuan, who after serving four years as Taiwan's Washington Representative is returning to Taiwan to continue his distinguished career by serving as Secretary General of the National Security Council. Mr. Yuan has worked tirelessly to further the mutually beneficial relationship between the United States and Taiwan.

As the people of the Republic of China on Taiwan celebrate the 101st anniversary of their nation's founding, I congratulate them on their National Day and would like to commend them for more than 100 years of progress. As a good friend and ally of the United States, the Republic of China on Taiwan remains a peaceful and prosperous democracy, and is a model for nations around the world.

I would like to take a moment and recognize the 23 million citizens of Taiwan for their commitment to peace. As a symbol of this commitment, the Republic of China on Taiwan recently melted down artillery shells and used the metal to construct a ``Peace Bell.'' President Ma Ying-jeou also proposed a peace initiative in the hope of easing the recent tensions in the East China Sea. The initiative calls on all parties concerned to show restraint, shelve controversies and settle disputes in a peaceful manner. It also urges all parties concerned to strive for a consensus on a code of conduct in the East China Sea, and to establish a mechanism for cooperation on exploring and developing resources in the region. We celebrate these efforts to maintain good relations with other countries, and the United States is proud to call the Republic of China on Taiwan a partner in peace.

In closing, I hope my colleagues will join me in thanking Ambassador Yuan for his service along with President Ma, Vice President Wu, and the people of the Republic of China on Taiwan for their continued commitment to peace and democracy on this anniversary of their National Day. Although I am retiring from the United States House of Representatives, please be assured that my support, commitment and friendship to Taiwan will remain strong, and will never die.

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