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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Republic of China (Taiwan) has achieved
3economic and social stability; in 2010, Taiwan was ranked as
4the United States' 9th-largest trading partner in the world;
5Taiwan is also the United States' 13th-largest export market
6and 9th largest source of imports, with U.S. exports to Taiwan
7in 2010 having increased by 43%; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In the last 2 decades, Taiwan has been praised as
9a beacon of democracy for Asia, having successfully completed
10its parliamentary elections and its 5th direct, popular
11presidential election on January 14, 2012; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Taiwan has taken great steps forward to enter the
13world arena as a trusted partner; for the last 3 years, Taiwan
14has participated as an observer in the World Health Assembly of
15the World Health Organization (WHO); in 2012, Taiwan will
16celebrate its 20th anniversary of participation in the
17Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, of which the United
18States is a longtime and respected member; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Taiwan has been added by the United States
20government as a candidate for the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, for
21which Taiwan is grateful to the United States, and, in
22particular, to the Illinois House of Representatives for its

 

 

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1support in this regard; and
 
2    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has a strong economic and
3cultural relationship with Taiwan since establishing
4sister-state relations in 1992; in 2011, Illinois ranked 5th
5among U.S. states in the value of overall exports to Taiwan,
6which increased 47% last year and were worth almost $1.2
7billion; these figures rose from $812 million in 2010, when
8Illinois exports to Taiwan ranked 6th among U.S. states; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Taiwan is the world's 6th-largest market for
10United States agricultural goods, with Taiwan having sent 26
11procurement missions to the United States between 1978 and
122011; these missions have enhanced the mutually beneficial
13trade relations and permanent friendship between the 2
14countries, while the Illinois economy has benefited from
15Taiwan's consistently large imports of Illinois agricultural
16products; in 2011, the State's agricultural exports to Taiwan,
17worth $739.24 million, comprised almost 62% of Illinois' total
18exports to Taiwan and increased 82% from the State's 2010
19agricultural exports to Taiwan ($406.78 million); and
 
20    WHEREAS, Taiwan's continuing absence from international
21organizations dealing with climate change has impeded Taiwan's
22ability to respond to natural disasters, such as Typhoon
23Morakot in 2009, while the global initiative to combat climate

 

 

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1change has been impaired by the lack of participation of
2Taiwan; similarly, Taiwan's absence from international
3organizations dealing with airline safety and security, major
4global concerns since 2001, has left a gap in the international
5aviation security system, as Taiwan is a key transport hub in
6the Asia-Pacific region; Taiwan has more than 1,000,000 flights
7passing through the Taipei Flight Information Region and one of
8the world's largest airports by cargo volume, Taoyuan
9International Airport; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Taiwan government highly values its relations
11with the United States and continually seeks to demonstrate its
12willingness to contribute its resources and know-how to the
13international community, such as its swift delivery of
14humanitarian assistance to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake
15in that country; the aid was expedited by the United States,
16which generously aided Taiwan in rescue and recovery after
17Typhoon Morakot; Taiwan also seeks to contribute to peace,
18freedom, and security in the world as a responsible stakeholder
19and peaceable nation of 23 million citizens through the
20Republic of China's policies, such as "flexible diplomacy" in
21foreign affairs and its pragmatic approach to relations with
22the People's Republic of China, as demonstrated by the historic
23passage in 2010 and implementation in 2011 of the Economic
24Cooperation Framework Agreement between Taipei and Beijing;
25therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we congratulate the Republic of China (Taiwan) on its
4successful presidential and parliamentary elections and on the
5re-election to a second term of President Ma Ying-jeou; and be
6it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That we further congratulate Taiwan on the 20th
8anniversary of its participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic
9Cooperation (APEC) forum to increase Taiwan's international
10space and contribution to the global community; and be it
11further
 
12    RESOLVED, That we affirm our support for the meaningful
13participation of Taiwan in the United Nations Framework
14Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International
15Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with observer status; and be
16it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
18delivered to United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
19Clinton, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, ICAO
20Secretary General Raymond Benjamin, and the Taipei Economic and
21Cultural Office in Chicago.