HR0811 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0811 LRB104 18893 ECR 32338 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois established a sister-state relationship with Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC), in 1992; since then, Illinois and Taiwan have enjoyed strong bilateral trade, educational and cultural exchanges, and tourism; and

WHEREAS, 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; this year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. as well as the 30th anniversary of Taiwan's first direct presidential election; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. ranks as Taiwan's second-largest trading partner, and Taiwan is the seventh-largest trading partner of the U.S., ranking higher than the United Kingdom, India, and Australia; bilateral trade between the U.S. and Taiwan reached more than $185 billion in 2024, and Taiwan is the 12th-largest export market for U.S. goods; since 2019, Taiwan-affiliated firms' investments in the U.S. have nearly doubled to $99.5 billion, and the trade and investment with Taiwan have supported 387,000 well-paid American jobs in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan imported $3.8 billion worth of U.S. farm products in 2024, making it the eighth-largest market for U.S. agricultural products overall; with its high quality agricultural produce, the U.S. remains one of Taiwan's largest sources of agricultural products; in September 2025, Taiwan made commitments to purchase up to $10 billion worth of U.S. soybeans, corn, wheat, and beef in the coming four years, much of which will come from the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan and the State of Illinois have enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the prospect of future growth; Taiwan was Illinois' seventh-largest export market in Asia and 18th-largest export market globally in 2024, with $807 million worth of Illinois goods being exported to the country, marking 6.5% growth from the previous year, and a $68 million investment from Taiwan to the State of Illinois with an unprecedented one-third of the growth from the previous year; trade and investment from Taiwan supports up to 5,600 quality jobs in Illinois, and up to 46 Taiwan-affiliated companies currently operate or have expanded in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, To strengthen the Taiwan-Illinois bilateral economic relationship, it is essential to support Illinois businesses in enhancing their economic engagement with Taiwan based on the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) Public Law 96-8, 22 U.S.C. 3301; Section 4, Subsection b of the TRA stipulates that "Whenever the laws of the United States refer or relate to foreign countries ... such terms shall include and such laws shall apply with respect to Taiwan"; it is legitimate for Illinois businesses to refer to Taiwan as "Taiwan" in conducting their business ties with the country, and the 2025 Congressional Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act further encourages U.S. officials to engage with Taiwan representatives and to travel to Taiwan; and

WHEREAS, Negotiations for a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (ADTA) between Taiwan and the U.S. are important steps 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 integrated diplomacy, values-added diplomacy, and allied diplomacy in its international relations; Taiwan is capable of fulfilling its responsibilities and collaborating with the world to deal with challenges, including international crime, aviation safety, climate change, humanitarian aid, and medical assistance; and

WHEREAS, The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed Resolution 2758 in 1971 to include representatives of the People's Republic of China (PRC), but the resolution was never intended to address Taiwan's ultimate political status and did not preclude Taiwan's meaningful participation in the UN system on its own merit; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we reaffirm our commitment to the strengthening and deepening of the sister-state relationship between the State of Illinois and Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC); and be it further

RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our support for the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and support Illinois businesses referring to Taiwan as "Taiwan"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we endorse Taiwan's efforts to secure the signing of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (ADTA) with the United States, and we support the further strengthening of a closer economic and trade partnership between the State of Illinois and Taiwan with multiple possible approaches, including signing an economic and trade memorandum of understanding, exploring the possibility of establishing an Illinois Office in Taiwan, and sending Illinois high-level officials to visit Taiwan without being threatened by any adversary forces; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations, including the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), which impact the well-being of the peoples of Taiwan, the State of Illinois, the U.S., and the world; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we oppose any distortion or misuse of UNGA Resolution 2758 to attempt to deny Taiwan's aspiration to make contributions in international societies; and be it further

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