Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SR0300

SR0300 LRB104 13487 LAW 25930 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois established a sister-state relationship with Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC), in 1992; since that time, 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; and

WHEREAS, The United States ranks as Taiwan's second-largest trading partner, and Taiwan is the eighth-largest trading partner of the United States, ranking higher than France, India, Brazil, and Australia; bilateral trade between the U.S. and Taiwan reached more than US$ 128 billion in 2023, and Taiwan is the 13th-largest export market for U.S. goods; and

WHEREAS, The United States is a leading destination for Taiwan's overseas investment, and the trade and investment with Taiwan creates and supports 360,400 well-paid American jobs in the United States; the first agreement under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade came into effect in December 2024; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan imported nearly US$ 3.7 billion worth of U.S. farm products in 2023, making it the seventh-largest market for U.S. agricultural products overall and the fourth-largest market on a per capita basis among the top 10 U.S. agricultural export destinations; due to its high quality produce, the U.S. remains one of Taiwan's largest sources of agricultural products, supplying more than one-fifth of the country's major agricultural imports; 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' sixth-largest export market in Asia and 19th-largest export market globally in 2023, with US$ 758 million worth of Illinois goods being exported to the country and a US$ 51 million investment from Taiwan being received by the State of Illinois; trade and investment from Taiwan supports up to 6,285 quality jobs in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, To strengthen the Taiwan-Illinois bilateral economic relationship, it is essential to support Illinois businesses to enhance their economic engagement with Taiwan based on the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA, Public Law 96-8, 22 U.S.C. 3301); Article 4, Section b of the TRA stipulates that "wherever the laws of the United States refer or relate to foreign countries, nations, states, governments, or similar entities, such terms shall include and such laws shall apply with respect to Taiwan"; it is legitimate for Illinois businesses to refer to Taiwan, ROC, as Taiwan in conducting their business ties with the country; and

WHEREAS, Negotiations for a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (ADTA), and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) between Taiwan and the United States 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-based diplomacy, and allied diplomacy in its international relations; Taiwan is capable of, 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; 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 above-mentioned 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 SENATE 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 ties 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, ROC, as Taiwan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we endorse Taiwan's efforts to secure the signing of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (ADTA), and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) 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; 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 health, safety, and well-being of the peoples of Taiwan, the State of Illinois, the United States, 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 more 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.