Supporters of Taiwan in Washington are making a last-minute bid to have the Senate insert measures favorable to Taiwan in a broader bill funding next year's government operations.
Congress must approve the bills before adjourning for the year, which it may do by the end of this week.
The efforts follow the Senate's action last Thursday in unanimously approving a resolution supporting Taiwan's participation in the UN and other international organizations.
That resolution, which is non-binding but expresses the "sense of the Senate," was identical to a resolution the House of Representatives passed earlier in the month, and came three days after Beijing issued its latest defense white paper that threatened Taiwan with the use of force if Beijing feels it is needed.
Groups supporting Taiwan are now pushing for an amendment to a bill funding the departments of Commerce, Justice and State for fiscal 2001, which began Oct. 1.
The amendment would incorporate parts of the Taiwan Security Enhancement Bill, a measure that has been stillborn in the Senate after being approved overwhelmingly in the House last spring, into the funding bill.
Those sections would require the administration to prepare three reports covering Taiwan's military and security issues.
The wording mandating the reports would be the same as that contained in the House bill.
That bill, which was roundly condemned by Beijing and was opposed by the Clinton administration, called for closer ties between the US and Taiwan militaries, including secure communications links, and would envision stepped-up weapons sales to Taipei.
One of the three reports would cover America's ability to respond to a major contingency in the Asia-Pacific region, where US interests in Taiwan are at risk.
The report would include a description of the planning undertaken to respond to such contingencies and also an assessment of the Pentagon's confidence in responding to the contingency.
The second report would detail Taiwan's annual arms shopping list to the US, assess Taiwan's defense needs to justify the requests, and explain why the US government approved, rejected or modified the requests.
The third report would detail the security situation in the Taiwan Strait, focusing on China's offensive military capabilities and recent additions, including ballistic missiles, naval strength and air strength.
Another measure that could be added to the bill would require the State Department to develop a plan to support Taiwan's effort to obtain observer status in the WHO's annual week-long summit next year in Geneva.
Supporters, whose efforts are spearheaded by the Formosa Association for Public Affairs, a private group mainly made up of Taiwanese-Americans, say that they have gained the backing of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.
Lott is trying to find a way of getting the measures added to the appropriation bill in time.
The supporters also say they have been in touch with key members of the House to gain commitments to accept any Senate wording when representatives of the two chambers meet in conference committee to hammer out any differences between each version of the bill.
President Clinton's view on the provisions is uncertain.
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