The Chinese room can answer any question a computer can.
If the Chinese room also contains paper, a pencil and an eraser in addition to the rule book, then the Chinese room is Turing complete, and thus it can answer any question that any computer program can answer.
With sufficient paper, a pencil and an eraser, Searle can act as a Turing machine. A Turing machine is Turing-complete. A Turing-complete machine can execute any possible program. Therefore:
If a program exists that can simulate intelligent behavior
then the Chinese room can simulate intelligent behavior.
Any argument that purports to show that the Chinese Room can't exhibit intelligent behavior actually shows that AI is impossible, because it implies that no program exists that can simulate intelligent behavior.