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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Republic of China (Taiwan) marked its
3centennial in 2011 and is the 18th-largest trading economy in
4the world(as of 2012) and has achieved economic and social
5stability; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In 2012, Taiwan ranked as the United States'
711th-largest trading partner in the world and is the United
8States' 16th-largest export market, with U.S. exports to Taiwan
9in 2012 worth U.S. $24.4 billion, and is the United States'
1011th-largest source of imports; and
 
11    WHEREAS, In the last 2 decades, Taiwan has been praised as
12a beacon of democracy for Asia, having successfully completed
13its parliamentary elections and its 5th direct, popular
14presidential election on January 14, 2012, electing to a second
15term, President Ma Ying-jeou, who was inaugurated on May 20,
162012; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Taiwan has taken great steps forward to enter the
18world arena as a trusted partner; for each year since 2009,
19Taiwan has participated as an observer in the World Health
20Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO); and
 
21    WHEREAS, Last fall the government of the United States

 

 

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1announced the inclusion of Taiwan in the U.S. Visa Waiver
2Program; effective November 1, 2012, Taiwan became the 37th
3member to receive visa-free travel privileges to the United
4States and only the 5th Asian country with visa-free status
5(behind Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Brunei); it is
6expected that more Taiwanese will come to the United States for
7business and tourism, increasing spending of tourist dollars
8and facilitating business, trade, and investment in the United
9States, thus contributing to the U.S. and local economies and
10strengthening bilateral relations and ties with the individual
11states, including Illinois; moreover, Taiwan is grateful to the
12United States, and to the Illinois State legislators, for its
13support in this effort; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has a strong economic and
15cultural relationship with Taiwan since establishing
16sister-state relations on August 27, 1992; in 2012, Illinois
17ranked 5th among U.S. states in the value of overall exports to
18Taiwan, were worth almost $952 million U.S.; the Illinois
19economy has benefited from Taiwan's consistently large imports
20of Illinois agricultural products, which in 2012 were worth
21$554 million U.S. and comprised more than 58% of Illinois'
22total exports to Taiwan; and
 
23    WHEREAS, Taiwan is the world's 6th-largest market for
24United States agricultural goods, with Taiwan having sent 26

 

 

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1agricultural missions to the United States between 1978 and
22011; these missions have enhanced the mutually beneficial
3trade relations and permanent friendship between the 2
4countries, and promoted ties between Taiwan and Illinois, which
5hosted the Taiwan soybean and corn delegation in 2011 in
6Springfield and Rockford; and
 
7    WHEREAS, International airline safety and security have
8been major global concerns since 2001; Taiwan, a key transport
9hub in the Asia-Pacific region, has more than one million
10flights per year passing through the Taipei Flight Information
11Region and has one of the world's largest airports by cargo
12volume, Taoyuan International Airport Taiwan; Taiwan seeks
13meaningful participation with observer status in the
14International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), but has not
15been accorded it and is not a member, leaving a gap in the
16aviation security and navigation system; Taiwan can be a
17valuable and constructive partner to the ICAO in the global
18strategy to address airline safety and security based on
19effective international cooperation, while Taiwan's
20participation in that international organization can also
21narrow the security gap, reduce the exposure to threats, and
22increase aviation safety; and
 
23    WHEREAS, The Taiwan government continually seeks to
24demonstrate its willingness to contribute its resources and

 

 

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1know-how to the international community, such as its swift
2delivery of humanitarian assistance to Haiti following the 2010
3earthquake in that country; the aid was expedited by the United
4States, which generously aided Taiwan in rescue and recovery
5after Typhoon Morakot; Taiwan also seeks to contribute to
6peace, freedom, and security in the world as a responsible
7stakeholder and peaceable nation of 23 million citizens through
8the Republic of China's policies, such as "flexible diplomacy"
9in foreign affairs and its pragmatic approach to relations with
10mainland China, as demonstrated by the historic passage in 2010
11and implementation in 2011 of the Economic Cooperation
12Framework Agreement between Taipei and Beijing; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The Taiwan government highly values its relations
14with the United States and regards strengthening Taiwan-U.S.
15relations as a top policy priority and is gratified that the
16United States and Taiwan have resumed high-level talks under
17the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA),
18an important platform to resolve trade and commerce issues; the
19bilateral regard for talk, which deputy U.S. trade
20representative hailed after the meeting completed on March 10,
212013, in Taipei as a "big success" and his counterpart in
22Taiwan said lay "a solid foundation for future collaboration in
23areas of mutual interest", as both sides are committed to
24working together to raise trade, investment, and the bilateral
25relationship "to the next level", which is expected to help

 

 

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1forge closer relations between the 2 countries and create a
2win-win environment for more Taiwanese trade and investment
3with individual states, including Illinois; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Taiwan seeks greater regional integration in the
5Asia-Pacific region and promotion of bilateral investment and
6trade relations with the United States, welcomes the
7opportunity presented by the United States' "pivot to Asia" and
8announcement in 2011 (at the meeting of leaders at the
9Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum) of the United States'
10intent to not only join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP),
11the proposed 21st century trade agreement between the U.S. and
128 other Asia-Pacific Rim countries, but to expand TPP
13membership in the future to include other countries, such as
14Taiwan; therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
16ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, we designate the date of
17August 27, 2013, as Taiwan Relations Day in the State of
18Illinois in recognition of the 21st anniversary of Illinois
19sister statehood with the Republic of China (Taiwan); and be it
20further
 
21    RESOLVED, That we welcome resumption of U.S.-Taiwan trade
22talks, and express support for Taiwan's efforts to secure entry
23into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), to promote its

 

 

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1bilateral investment and trade relations with the United States
2and facilitate its economic and other ties with Illinois and
3the individual states; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That to increase Taiwan's international space
5and the degree to which Taiwan benefits from and contributes to
6global efforts to enhance international airline safety and
7security, we reaffirm our support for the meaningful
8participation of Taiwan in the International Civil Aviation
9Organization (ICAO) with observer status; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
11presented to United States Secretary of State John F. Kerry,
12ICAO Secretary Genera1 Raymond Benjamin, and the Taipei
13Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.