Full Text of HR0875 98th General Assembly
HR0875 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Relations between the Republic of China (Taiwan) | 3 | | and the United States, in particular the State of Illinois, | 4 | | which shares sister-city and sister-state relationships, are | 5 | | marked by strong bilateral trade, educational and cultural | 6 | | exchanges, and tourism; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Taiwan, which is the world's 17th-largest | 8 | | economy, shares with the United States and the State of | 9 | | Illinois, the common values of freedom, democracy, human | 10 | | rights, and a commitment to the rule of law; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, As of 2012, Taiwan is the United States' | 12 | | 11th-largest trading partner in the world, with bilateral trade | 13 | | worth US$63,000,000,000, the 16th-largest export market, with | 14 | | total U.S. exports worth US$24,400,000,000, the 6th-largest | 15 | | market for U.S. agricultural goods, and its 11th-largest source | 16 | | of imports; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Taiwan and the State of Illinois have enjoyed a | 18 | | long and mutually beneficial relationship and anticipate | 19 | | continuing growth, as Illinois in 2012 continued to rank 5th | 20 | | among all U.S. states in the value of overall exports to | 21 | | Taiwan, then worth almost US$952,000,000, and Taiwan in 2012, | 22 | | ranked as Illinois' 16th-largest export destination, its |
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| 1 | | 6th-largest market in Asia, and its 9th-largest source of | 2 | | imports; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Taiwan has consistently imported more than | 4 | | US$3,500,000,000 of U.S. farm products annually and is the | 5 | | world's largest consumer per-capita of U.S. agricultural | 6 | | goods, including corn and soybeans, so vital to the Prairie | 7 | | State; while the Illinois economy has greatly benefited from | 8 | | Taiwan's reliably large imports of Illinois farm products, | 9 | | which in 2012 were worth US$553,500,000 and comprised more than | 10 | | 58% of Illinois's total exports to Taiwan that year; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Taiwan, in order to contribute to greater regional | 12 | | integration in the Asia-Pacific region and to further promote | 13 | | bilateral investment and trade relations with the United | 14 | | States, Taiwan's third-largest trading partner, seeks to join | 15 | | the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the proposed 21st century | 16 | | trade agreement between the United States and currently 11 | 17 | | other Asia-Pacific Rim countries; the United States has | 18 | | announced its intention that membership in the TPP expand in | 19 | | the future to include other friendly countries, such as Taiwan; | 20 | | and | 21 | | WHEREAS, Taiwan, an important economic power, a dynamic | 22 | | market economy, and leading supplier of high-tech products, is | 23 | | the 14th-largest exporter, and 16th-largest importer, |
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| 1 | | worldwide; according to the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom, | 2 | | Taiwan ranks as the world's 17th-freest economy, and 5th-freest | 3 | | among 42 economies in the Asia-Pacific region, behind Hong | 4 | | Kong, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, and is deserving | 5 | | of greater participation and inclusion in wider regional | 6 | | economic integration; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Negotiations for a bilateral investment agreement | 8 | | between Taiwan and the United States are an important step | 9 | | toward further strengthening bilateral trade and paving the way | 10 | | for entering into a free trade agreement between our 2 | 11 | | countries, thereby increasing Illinois's exports to Taiwan and | 12 | | creating bilateral investment and technical collaboration | 13 | | through tariff reduction and other trade facilitation | 14 | | measures; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Taiwan is grateful to the United States and, in | 16 | | particular, to the State of Illinois, for their support of | 17 | | Taiwan's efforts to participate in international organizations | 18 | | such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), | 19 | | which bore fruit last year when the ICAO admitted Taiwan to | 20 | | attend the triennial ICAO Assembly in September of 2013 as a | 21 | | special guest, an encouraging first step as Taiwan uses this | 22 | | international mechanism to contribute to, and benefit from, the | 23 | | global strategy and effort to improve airline security and | 24 | | aviation safety; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Despite such modest successes, Taiwan's continued | 2 | | absence from international organizations, such as the United | 3 | | Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has | 4 | | hampered Taiwan's ability to participate in global climate | 5 | | initiatives and to respond to natural disasters such as Typhoon | 6 | | Haiyan, which struck the Philippines in November of 2013, | 7 | | resulting in the deaths of more than 6,000 people, the | 8 | | displacement of almost 2 million people, and more than | 9 | | US$216,000,000 in economic damage to the Philippines's | 10 | | infrastructure and agriculture, and since Taiwan and the | 11 | | Philippines are geographically close and both are subject to | 12 | | the severe effects of typhoons, Taiwan should be allowed to | 13 | | participate appropriately in, and no longer be excluded from, | 14 | | the UNFCCC; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Taiwan can be a valuable and constructive partner | 16 | | in the international response to adverse effects of climate | 17 | | change and severe weather emergencies, as evidenced by Taiwan's | 18 | | speedy and generous response to aid the victims of Typhoon | 19 | | Haiyan in the Philippines through practical assistance by | 20 | | Taiwan government agencies, direct government aid, and total | 21 | | donations, including private donations, of approximately | 22 | | US$12,220,000 in cash and in-kind relief; therefore, be it
| 23 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| 1 | | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 2 | | we affirm our commitment to the strong and deepening | 3 | | sister-city and sister-state relationships between Taiwan and | 4 | | the State of Illinois, and express continued support for | 5 | | Taiwan's efforts to secure entry to the Trans-Pacific | 6 | | Partnership (TPP); and be it further
| 7 | | RESOLVED, That we endorse the signing of a bilateral | 8 | | investment agreement with the United States and continue to | 9 | | welcome the U.S.-Taiwan trade talks, to promote Taiwan's | 10 | | bilateral investment and trade relations with the United States | 11 | | and facilitate its economic and other ties with Illinois and | 12 | | the individual states; and be it further | 13 | | RESOLVED, That we extend our support for Taiwan's | 14 | | appropriate participation in international organizations, such | 15 | | as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change | 16 | | (UNFCCC), that impact the health, safety, and well-being of | 17 | | Taiwan; and be it further | 18 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 19 | | presented to United States Secretary of State John F. Kerry, | 20 | | UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, and the Taipei | 21 | | Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.
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