Jim Bunning: “I want to take a few moments and talk about Taiwan which has been a reliable friend and ally of the U.S. in Asia for…”

“I want to take a few moments and talk about Taiwan which has been a reliable friend and ally of the U.S. in Asia for over 50 years. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, Taiwan quickly announced its support for the allied war against terrorism. Taiwan has since supported the ally efforts to rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein and has offered humanitarian and developmental assistance in rebuilding Iraq for a free Iraqi people. For that, we certainly owe Taiwan a great deal of thanks. Taiwan has shown itself to be a democratic and freedom embracing republic even while it has undergone threats posed by the People's Republic of China, PRC. As the world focuses on continuing tensions in the Middle East and Africa, the nuclear situation in North Korea, and other threats, we must not ignore the military threat posed by the PRC to our friends in Taiwan. The United States must continue to stand with Taiwan. It is an island of freedom that must be supported. Aside from simply supporting Taiwan's democratic principles of open elections, human rights, and freedom of assembly and religious beliefs, we must also work to help them with their economy and support of markets and trade. I hope at some point the United States takes a serious and significant step in further strengthening our economic and political ties through a free trade agreement.”