Lateefah Simon: “shortly after I announced that I would be retiring from the Senate, President Clinton called and suggested that from…”

“shortly after I announced that I would be retiring from the Senate, President Clinton called and suggested that from time to time, I should give a report on some issue facing the Nation, and today I am again doing that--this time with a few observations about the relationship between China, Taiwan, and the United States. My interest in this subject is more than a sudden thrust caused by recent developments. My parents were Lutheran missionaries in China and had returned to the United States 1 month when I was born. I tell Chinese-American audiences that I was ``made in China.'' I grew up in a home that had Chinese art, guests, and influence. That gives me no more expertise than others, but I mention it because my interest has been longstanding. Before the Shanghai communique that recognized the People's Republic of China, I favored recognizing the mainland Chinese Government, as well as the Government on Taiwan. It would have been somewhat similar to our recognizing both West Germany and East Germany as two separate governments. Neither Germany was particularly happy with that, but it acknowledged reality, and it did not prevent the two governments from eventually merging into one Germany. Following that course with China and Taiwan would have been a wiser policy, and it would have acknowledged what is a reality: There are two separate governments. But that did not happen, and hindsight is an easy luxury.”