Political Quotes

“It is no coincidence that China has planned to hold missile tests off of Taiwan's coast during that country's first democratic Presidential elections. But despite China's predictable behavior, it is no less a violation of all that we hold dear to us here in this freedom-loving country. China's latest act of coercion will accomplish nothing more than to further tarnish her image as a country whose human rights abuses seem to know no borders and no boundaries. This latest action comes at a time when Taiwan is about to embark on what democratic countries as our own often take for granted--the free and open elections of our leaders. By conducting missile tests off the shores of Taiwan--the third testing since Taiwan's President Lee Teng-hut visited the United States last June--China is not only effectively shutting down the two largest commercial ports in Taiwan, it is sending a message to the people of that country that their liberty is constantly in jeopardy. I want my colleagues to be aware that these tests not only will affect Taiwan's exports and imports in the short term, but are bound to have long-term effects as well. Some analysts put the loss at as much as 20 percent for both imports and exports.”