SR0291 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0291 LRB101 11846 MST 58781 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is proud of the sisterhood relationship it has enjoyed with Taiwan since 1992, marked by strong bilateral trade, educational and cultural exchanges, and tourism; and

WHEREAS, The Republic of China (Taiwan) shares the same values of freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, peace, and prosperity with the United States and the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The United States ranks as Taiwan's second-largest trading partner; Taiwan is the eleventh-largest trading partner of the United States, and bilateral trade reached US$ 68.2 billion in 2017; and

WHEREAS, The United States Congress passed the landmark Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) in 1979 to sustain a close bilateral relationship between the United States and Taiwan, as well as to advance their mutual security and commercial interests, and the TRA has served as the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations and has helped to preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan and the State of Illinois have enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the prospect of future growth, and Taiwan was Illinois's eighth-largest export market in Asia in 2017, with US$ 669 million worth of Illinois goods exported to Taiwan; and

WHEREAS, Negotiations for a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between Taiwan and the United States are an important step toward further strengthening bilateral trade between our countries, thereby increasing Illinois exports to Taiwan and creating bilateral investment and technical collaboration through tariff reduction and other trade facilitation measures; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan has undertaken a policy of "steadfast diplomacy" in its international relations; Taiwan is capable of fulfilling and willing to fulfill its responsibilities and to collaborate with the world to deal with the challenges of humanitarian aid, disease control, and so forth; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act enacted by the United States Congress and reiterate our support for a closer economic and trade partnership between the United States and Taiwan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we endorse Taiwan's efforts to secure the signing of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we continue to support Taiwan's participation in international organizations, which impact the health, safety, and well-being of its people, and support its aspiration to make more contributions to the global community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.