SPEAKERS       CONTENTS       INSERTS    
 Page 1       TOP OF DOC
51–551 CC
1998
REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

H. RES. 505

 Page 2       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
SEPTEMBER 9, 1998

Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York, Chairman
WILLIAM GOODLING, Pennsylvania
JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa
HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois
DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska
CHRISTOPHER SMITH, New Jersey
DAN BURTON, Indiana
ELTON GALLEGLY, California
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida
CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina
DANA ROHRABACHER, California
DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California
PETER T. KING, New York
JAY KIM, California
STEVEN J. CHABOT, Ohio
MARSHALL ''MARK'' SANFORD, South Carolina
MATT SALMON, Arizona
AMO HOUGHTON, New York
TOM CAMPBELL, California
 Page 3       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
JON FOX, Pennsylvania
LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
JOHN McHUGH, New York
ROY BLUNT, Missouri
KEVIN BRADY, Texas
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina
LEE HAMILTON, Indiana
SAM GEJDENSON, Connecticut
TOM LANTOS, California
HOWARD BERMAN, California
GARY ACKERMAN, New York
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American Samoa
MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ, California
DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
ROBERT ANDREWS, New Jersey
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY, Georgia
ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida
PAT DANNER, Missouri
EARL HILLIARD, Alabama
BRAD SHERMAN, California
ROBERT WEXLER, Florida
STEVE ROTHMAN, New Jersey
BOB CLEMENT, Tennessee
 Page 4       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
BILL LUTHER, Minnesota
JIM DAVIS, Florida
LOIS CAPPS, California
RICHARD J. GARON, Chief of Staff
MICHAEL H. VAN DUSEN, Democratic Chief of Staff

Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska, Chairman
JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa
DANA ROHRABACHER, California
PETER T. KING, New York
JAY KIM, California
MATT SALMON, Arizona
JON FOX, Pennsylvania
JOHN M. McHUGH, New York
DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California
HOWARD L. BERMAN, California
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American Samoa
ROBERT E. ANDREWS, New Jersey
SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ, California
ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida
ROBERT WEXLER, Florida
LOIS CAPPS, California
 Page 5       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
MIKE ENNIS, Subcommittee Staff Director
RICHARD KESSLER, Democratic Professional Staff Member
DAN MARTZ, Counsel
ALICIA O'DONNELL, Staff Associate
C O N T E N T S

APPENDIX

    H. Res. 505
    Prepared statement of Hon. Eni Faleomavaega, a Representative in Congress from American Samoa

H. RES. 505, REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1998
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific,
Committee on International Relations,
Washington, DC.
    The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 4 p.m. in room 2200, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Doug Bereuter (chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.
    Mr. BEREUTER. The Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific will come to order. We meet in open session today on H. Res. 505, a resolution addressing U.S. relations with the Pacific Island nations. The clerk will report the resolution.
    The CLERK. H. Res. 505, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the importance of diplomatic relations with the Pacific Island nations.
 Page 6       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
    Whereas the South Pacific region covers an immense area of the earth, approximately 3 times——
    Mr. BEREUTER. Without objection, further reading of the resolution will be dispensed with, printed in the record and open for amendment.
    [H. Res. 505 appears in the appendix.]
    Mr. BEREUTER. I recognize myself.
    The resolution was introduced on July 20, 1998, by our colleague, Mr. Faleomavaega, and is cosponsored by myself and Mr. Berman, together with the Chairman and Ranking Democrat of the full International Relations Committee and other Members.
    Mr. Berman would like to be here today for this discussion. He is on the way back from California at this point.
    I congratulate the distinguished gentleman from American Samoa, Mr. Faleomavaega, for introducing this timely and important resolution.
    While the Pacific Island nations form an important part of our Subcommittee's jurisdiction, our attention has of late been focused on the political and social unrest in other parts of Asia, together with the financial crisis and nuclear missile proliferation. I commend Mr. Faleomavaega for reminding us that the Pacific Islands are economically and diplomatically important to the United States, and we ignore them at our cost.
    In the years since the end of the Second World War, the U.S. policy toward the Pacific Islands has been dominated by military and security considerations. Certainly the deep-water port facilities, the missile test ranges and the jungle training facilities offered by the Pacific Islands were essential infrastructure in helping us to successfully conclude the cold war.
    The legislation before us today expands our focus beyond the security arena, correctly addressing economic issues, the environment and political cooperation. It is self-evidently in our interest to pursue such a broad agenda with these small nations. Endowed with vast natural resources, this so-called ocean continent of islands is poised to make valuable contributions to the global economy. U.S. fishing companies already enjoy fishing rights in certain waters controlled by these nations, and improved diplomatic ties would increase the potential for the United States to further benefit from the Pacific's wealth of resources. Similarly, there is enormous potential to exploit the vast mineral wealth of the Pacific.
 Page 7       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
    H. Res. 505 also recommends the United States hosting a Pacific Island summit as a means of highlighting the myriad of bilateral and multilateral issues of the region. This strikes me as an excellent proposal from our colleague, Mr. Faleomavaega. Such a summit probably could be scheduled with very little difficulty in succession to the annual APEC meeting, and I would urge the Administration to consider such a proposal.
    Last, I would note that Mr. Faleomavaega has worked constructively with the Administration, which has voiced its support for the legislation. It has also been shared with the relevant embassies of the nations in the region, and I am told they enthusiastically welcome it also. Therefore, I urge support for H. Res. 505.
    It is now my pleasure to turn to the sponsor of the resolution, Mr. Faleomavaega, for such comments as he would like to make. I yield.
    Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to ask unanimous consent to submit my statement to be made part of the record.
    Mr. BEREUTER. Without objection.
    Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. And from which I will provide the Members of the Subcommittee with an overview.
    Mr. Chairman, I certainly would like to thank you as chairman of our Asia-Pacific Subcommittee for your support and for your help in guiding and to provide the proper subject matters to be made part of this important resolution.
    I also want to thank the chairman of the International Relations Committee, the gentleman from New York, Mr. Gilman; and our Democratic Ranking Member of the Committee, Mr. Lee Hamilton from Indiana; Mr. Smith; Mr. Lantos; certainly my good friend who is here with us today, Mr. Alcee Hastings of Florida, for supporting this resolution on a bipartisan basis.
    Mr. Chairman, the United States has had a long and extraordinarily deep relationship with our allies and friends among the Pacific Island nations. One need only mention the names of Guadalcanal, Midway, Wake Island, and Saipan to recall the critical battles waged in the Pacific during World War II. Through that terrible conflict and since then, Americans have fought alongside our allies to preserve peace and nurture democracy in the Pacific region.
 Page 8       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
    Today, over a half-century later, we should not forget our commitment to our friends in this part of the world. The Pacific Ocean covers one-third of the earth's surface and spanning it are the 7,500 islands which comprise the 22 island nations and territories.
    While budgetary cutbacks have resulted in a reduced U.S. diplomatic presence in the region, our Nation continues to have substantial interest in the Pacific, whether that be in areas of investment and trade, strategic and regional security or protection of the environment.
    Mr. Chairman, with the advent of the Law of the Sea Conference and increasing international enforcement of exclusive economic zones, or EEZs as they are called, Pacific Island governments wield control over vast tracts of ocean. The millions of square miles of Pacific Ocean under the jurisdiction of these island nations encompass productive fisheries, undersea minerals and important sea lanes, increasingly vital assets in the future of the global economy and certainly for our own interests.
    For example, Mr. Chairman, some of the world's richest fishing grounds are found here, where the United States nets the bulk of tuna consumed by Americans. Many Americans do not realize that the largest tuna canning fishing operation is in my own district in American Samoa.
    Mr. BEREUTER. If the gentleman would yield, I was happy to visit it, and they gave me a case of something called wahoo, which is apparently a premier tuna fish.
    Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. It is better than tuna, Mr. Chairman.
    The problem here is that we have a very unique law in that because ono, which is known by the Hawaiians and called as wahoo, it is not a wahoo as you have probably seen it on the Internet.
    Mr. BEREUTER. David Letterman?
 Page 9       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
    Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Because we consider this fish as game fish, it is not permitted in our country to be sold commercially, believe it or not. But we do can it for special persons like yourself, Mr. Chairman, and you will be receiving some canned wahoo pretty soon.
    But I believe, as I said earlier, Mr. Chairman, on the ocean floor by the Papua, New Guinea, area, Fiji and Tonga, lie seabed mineral deposits and nodules containing valuable minerals such as manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper, silver and gold. The EEZ waters of the sparsely populated Cook Islands, for example, are projected to contain at least $150 billion worth of seabed nodules.
    The lesson has not been lost on Asian nations that have invested in the region, including China, South Korea and particularly Japan. Last October, then Prime Minister Hashimoto hosted a Tokyo summit meeting with Pacific Island heads of governments and states. No doubt, Japan is making an economic investment for the 21st century, Mr. Chairman, and I should note we should do no less.
    Mr. Chairman, the House resolution sends the message that hopefully cultivates a diplomatic relationship today with Pacific Island leaders fostering greater economic ties with them hopefully for tomorrow and facilitating access to the region's valuable marine resources in the next millennium. Mr. Chairman, in furtherance of that goal, this resolution strongly urges that the Administration host a summit conference to meet with the Pacific Island heads of government and state as well as territories to improve diplomatic relations with the Pacific Island nations.
    As you may have been aware, Mr. Chairman, I personally brought this matter to the attention of the President about 3 months ago at a meeting at the White House with him and six of our colleagues which make up the Asia-Pacific Congressional Caucus. The President as well as his chief of staff were very responsive to the suggestion.
 Page 10       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
    It is my understanding that Senator Inouye is also going to be introducing a similar resolution.
    But more than anything, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for your leadership and for your recognition of the fact that the East-West Center, as it was founded by the Congress since 1963, based in Hawaii, should be and will be the center of whereby truly east should be meeting west and that this forum and this facility should be the host facility for this summit conference as I would sincerely hope will come to pass next year.
    Mr. Chairman, I would also like to ask that our colleagues support the adoption of this resolution as it is in our national interest and that we preserve strong and enduring economic, political and strategic ties with these Pacific Island nations. America cannot afford to neglect our friends in the Pacific. Adoption of this resolution and the holding of a Pacific Island summit will indicate very strongly our commitment and interest in this region.
    Again Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for calling this Subcommittee hearing to hear this resolution. I sincerely hope that my colleagues will support the substance of it; and, hopefully, it will be approved by the Full Committee and the House as well. I thank the chairman for allowing me to say this.
    Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you very much, Mr. Faleomavaega, for your initiative and your excellent statement.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Faleomavaega appears in the appendix.]
    Mr. BEREUTER. I do think that the East-West Center is a proper venue for such a summit. If we are successful later during this appropriations season, we may well find that we will be hosting a variety of interparliamentary efforts with Asia and Pacific countries at the East-West Center every year, every second year, every third year or something of that nature. It is an excellent facility. Good cooperation and a lot of resources are available there.
 Page 11       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
    I am reminded that when I was a congressional delegate at the United Nations, having spent some time on the Interior Committee when I first came to Congress and therefore focused on our former trust territories in the Pacific, that our ambassador then to the United Nations, Ambassador Walter, used me to sort of reach out again to the Pacific nations. I was interested and pleased to find that they were among the most supportive countries for U.S. initiatives in the United Nations of all of the member countries that were members. We have a natural reason for rapport, and, apparently, we see eye-to-eye on many issues.
    The distinguished gentleman from Florida is also a cosponsor. Would you like to make a statement at this point, Mr. Hastings?
    Mr. HASTINGS. Very briefly, Mr. Chairman.
    Thank you so very much. I am delighted to have the opportunity to cosponsor this measure. I am equally delighted that we are heightening the emphasis that has been placed by Mr. Faleomavaega on what all of us obviously recognize as a very vital role that the United States can and should play in establishing important diplomatic relations with the Pacific Island nations.
    One added residual in my view, Mr. Chairman, will be of the opportunity not only to provide leadership but to do research in areas of the world that are still pristine and to ensure that we assist in keeping them as best we can in that pristine nature. There is a lot to be learned from working with the Pacific Island nations in addition to wahoo, and that is not Yahoo, Mr. Faleomavaega, but there are any number of activities that all of us rightly should be involved in as we move into the next century.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for expediting this matter. Thank you, Mr. Faleomavaega, and our colleagues for sponsorship and cosponsorship.
    Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you, Mr. Hastings, and thank you also for recognizing the proper pronunciation of the city in my district called Wahoo, which is also the home of the David Letterman Show.
 Page 12       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
    Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman, there are a lot of people in my district that are yahoos.
    Mr. BEREUTER. I won't comment further on that.
    [Laughter.]
    Mr. BEREUTER. But I would say to the gentleman he is certainly right to bring up the unique ecological resources that are found in these Pacific Islands.
    I recall visiting the island of Palau of the famous Rock Islands and lagoons which have been separated from the rest of the ocean for so many years. We have absolutely unique flora and fauna in those lagoons. I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful sight than those Rock Islands, and I would hope that maybe we might encourage the Palauans to apply for World Heritage Site recognition and also to provide——
    Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. BEREUTER. I would be pleased to yield.
    Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I want to thank my good friend from Florida for that clarification. Perhaps I could say that there is a similarity between wahoo and Yahoo. The fact that the gentleman who founded the famous Internet system, Yahoo, is now worth well over $1 billion in assets, and whoever thought of that word now I am sure has not regretted using it. I might also note that the tuna that has been exported by a subsidiary of the Heinz food company from Pennsylvania, the Starkist food company, that is based not only in my district but in Puerto Rico, pretty much grosses over $1 billion worth of tuna that the American consumer has been purchasing for the past couple of years. I will certainly never forget this, the difference between a wahoo and a Yahoo. In reference to both, I would rather eat a wahoo anyway than a Yahoo anytime.
    Mr. Chairman, I think if our friends here in the room would look at the map on the left side and if you could see right across there, I am sure most of our friends here know where the State of Hawaii is. By the way, it is not pronounced Hawaii. Some dumb missionary must have misused the word, because you will never hear a Hawaiian pronounce the word Hawaii. It is always Havaii, and it should have been spelled H-a-v-a-i-i.
 Page 13       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
    But looking at the Pacific where you can go further south where New Zealand is located and as far east as Easter Island, or what the Polynesians call as—and now I have forgotten myself what it is known—then you go as far as Papua, New Guinea, both West Papua, New Guinea, and Papua, New Guinea, you have quite a stretch of miles there. Given the fact that I have just returned from my district this morning at about 5:30, taking me almost 3 days to be here, Mr. Chairman, I don't think I enjoy traveling that much.
    But I do want to say that there is a tremendous amount of wealth out there in the Pacific. These small, little, dotty islands don't mean that much in terms of numbers, but the resources are there. I think our country should not neglect to look not just at the numbers but look at the issues and how important it is for our own economic and security interests.
    Again, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you and commend you for bringing this piece of legislation to the Subcommittee to consider. I want to thank you.
    Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you, Mr. Faleomavaega. I don't feel too sorry for your travels because I can imagine all those frequent flier miles. But, most importantly, when I visited American Samoa, I decided it must be the most beautiful part of the world under the American flag. You are fortunate to represent it.
    Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. The interesting thing, Mr. Chairman, now that you mention about the frequent flier, I am probably the only Member that has to travel to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Honolulu, because that is where all the tribes of Samoans live; and if I don't show up at their weddings and funerals like any other Member, they will cut my throat. I use my mileage for those purposes, for commuting purposes, might I add.
    Again, I just sincerely hope that our colleagues will look at the Pacific as well as other regions. Sometimes when we look at numbers, this is how we make policy decisions. We ought to look at the issues and how they may be relevant and important.
    I know some of my colleagues may not be aware that probably the best rugby players per capita come from the Pacific region. I know Americans don't play rugby that much, but certainly 500 million people in the world know and appreciate very much what rugby is about.
 Page 14       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC
    We are trying to get into American football right now, at least in my district, Mr. Chairman. Junior Seau is managing to make $27 million in a 4-year period. We ought to get more Samoans playing in the NFL. We have 20 now playing, Mr. Chairman. Maybe we need to get a couple more.
    Again, Mr. Chairman, thank you.
    Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you, Mr. Faleomavaega. I notice that Washington State has done very well in recruiting there.
    Is there further discussion on the resolution or are there amendments? If not, having digressed very substantially in this hearing from time to time—it is a pleasure not to be rushed for once—the question is on the adoption of the resolution.
    As many as are in favor will say aye.
    As many as are opposed will say no.
    The ayes have it. The resolution is agreed to.
    Without objection, the clerk is authorized to make technical, grammatical and conforming changes to the text just agreed to.
    I thank my colleagues for their cooperation. The staff informs me it is on the schedule for the Full Committee markup tomorrow morning, so you will be there, I hope, to help carry it through.
    Having no further business before the Subcommittee, we stand adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 4:20 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]

A P P E N D I X

    Insert "The Official Committee record contains additional material here."

 Page 15       PREV PAGE       TOP OF DOC