HR0115 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0115 LRB098 10991 MST 41643 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Republic of China (Taiwan) marked its centennial in 2011 and began its second century as the world's 19th-largest economy (as of 2011) and has achieved economic and social stability; and

WHEREAS, In 2011, Taiwan ranked as the United States' 10th-largest trading partner in the world and is the United States' 15th-largest export market, with U.S. exports to Taiwan in 2011 worth $25.9 billion U.S., and its 9th-largest source of imports (in 2010); and

WHEREAS, In the last 2 decades, Taiwan has been praised as a beacon of democracy for Asia, having successfully completed its parliamentary elections and its 5th direct, popular presidential election on January 14, 2012, electing to a second term, President Ma Ying-jeou, who was inaugurated on May 20, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan has taken great steps forward to enter the world arena as a trusted partner; for each year since 2009, Taiwan has participated as an observer in the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO); in 2012, Taiwan celebrated its 20th anniversary of participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (AFEC) forum, of which the United States is a longtime and respected member; and

WHEREAS, Last fall the government of the United States announced the inclusion of Taiwan in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program; effective November 1, 2012, Taiwan became the 37th member to receive visa-free travel privileges to the United States and only the 5th Asian country with visa-free status (behind Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Brunei); it is expected that more Taiwanese will come to the United States for business and tourism, increasing spending of tourist dollars and facilitating business, trade, and investment in the United States, thus contributing to the U.S. and local economies and strengthening bilateral relations and ties with the individual states, including Illinois; moreover, Taiwan is grateful to the United States, and, in particular, to the Illinois House of Representatives for its support in this effort; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has a strong economic and cultural relationship with Taiwan since establishing sister-state relations in 1992; in 2011, Illinois ranked 5th among U.S. states in the value of overall exports to Taiwan, which increased 47% that year and were worth almost $1.2 billion U.S.; these figures rose from $812 million U.S. in 2010, when Illinois exports to Taiwan ranked 6th among U.S. states; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan is the world's 6th-largest market for United States agricultural goods, with Taiwan having sent 26 agricultural missions to the United States between 1978 and 2011; these missions have enhanced the mutually beneficial trade relations and permanent friendship between the 2 countries, and promoted ties between Taiwan and Illinois, which hosted the Taiwan soybean and corn delegation in 2011 in Springfield and Rockford; the Illinois economy has benefited fram Taiwan's consistently large imports of Illinois agricultural products; in 2011, the State's agricultural exports to Taiwan, worth $739.24 million U.S., comprised almost 62% of Illinois' total exports to Taiwan and increased 82% from the State's 2010 agricultural exports to Taiwan ($406.78 million U.S.); and

WHEREAS, International airline safety and security have been major global concerns since 2001; Taiwan, a key transport hub in the Asia-Pacific region, has more than one million flights per year passing through the Taipei Flight Information Region and has one of the world's largest airports by cargo volume, Taoyuan International Airport Taiwan; Taiwan seeks meaningful participation with observer status in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), but has not been accorded it and is not a member, leaving a gap in the aviation security and navigation system; Taiwan can be a valuable and constructive partner to the ICAO in the global strategy to address airline safety and security based on effective international cooperation, while Taiwan's participation in that international organization can also narrow the security gap, reduce the exposure to threats, and increase aviation safety; and

WHEREAS, The Taiwan government continually seeks to demonstrate its willingness to contribute its resources and know-how to the international community, such as its swift delivery of humanitarian assistance to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake in that country; the aid was expedited by the United States, which generously aided Taiwan in rescue and recovery after Typhoon Morakot; Taiwan also seeks to contribute to peace, freedom, and security in the world as a responsible stakeholder and peaceable nation of 23 million citizens through the Republic of China's policies, such as "flexible diplomacy" in foreign affairs and its pragmatic approach to relations with mainland China, as demonstrated by the historic passage in 2010 and implementation in 2011 of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement between Taipei and Beijing; and

WHEREAS, The Taiwan government highly values its relations with the United States and is gratified that the United States and Taiwan will restart high-level talks under the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), an important platform to resolve trade and commerce issues, on March 11-12, 2013, in Taipei; it is anticipated that this meeting will help forge closer relations between the 2 countries and create a win-win environment for more Taiwanese trade and investment with individual states, including Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan seeks greater regional integration in the Asia-Pacific region and promotion of bilateral investment and trade relations with the United States, welcomes the opportunity presented by the United States' "pivot to Asia" and announcement in 2011 (at the meeting of leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum) of the United States' intent to not only join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the proposed 21st century trade agreement between the U.S. and 8 other Asia-Pacific Rim countries, but to expand TPP membership in the future to include other countries, such as Taiwan; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Republic of China (Taiwan) on gaining inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program in 2012, welcome the U.S.-Taiwan trade talks, and express support for Taiwan's efforts to secure entry to the Trails-Pacific Partnership (TPP), to promote its bilateral investment and trade relations with the United States and facilitate its economic and other ties with Illinois and the individual states; and be it further

RESOLVED, That to increase Taiwan's international space and the degree to which Taiwan benefits from and contributes to global efforts to enhance international airline safety and security, we reaffirm our support for the meaningful participation of Taiwan in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with observer status; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to United States Secretary of State John F. Kerry, ICAO Secretary Genera1 Raymond Benjamin, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.