Sylvester Turner: “Let me say first that this amendment is not about friendship. We are clearly friends with the People's Republic of China…”

“Let me say first that this amendment is not about friendship. We are clearly friends with the People's Republic of China and the people of Taiwan, and let there be no mistake about that. Let me also say that this amendment is not about military exchanges, because they are already authorized under the Taiwan Relations Act. What this amendment does that is new is requires a higher level of exchanges between high-level military personnel and high-level civilian personnel, which has never, to date, been authorized by any administration. So I think this is clearly an amendment that is interfering with a very delicate balance that exists with regard to our One China policy. It is opposed by the State Department, it is opposed by the National Security Council members, and employees who work with China. One of them said, ``This is unhelpful to the national interest. It could backfire. It works against our purpose.'' I urge Members to leave this matter in the hands of our President, to allow him to do this. Never have we required these higher-level visits, which to date have never been approved. I urge opposition to the amendment.”