HR0665 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0665 LRB102 26261 MST 36143 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

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

WHEREAS, The Illinois House of Representatives established the Illinois Statehouse Taiwan Friendship Caucus on May 19, 2021, the first of its kind in the nation with bi-partisan support, which was commemorated by House Resolution No. 372 on June 1, 2021; 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; Taiwan is the eighth-largest trading partner of the United States, and bilateral trade reached more than US$ 856 billion in 2021; 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 seventh-largest export market in Asia in 2020 with US$ 673 million worth of Illinois goods exported to Taiwan; 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 USC 3301); as 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 as Taiwan in conducting their business ties with 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's 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, 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND 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, R.O.C.; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our support for the Taiwan Relations Act and support Illinois businesses referring to Taiwan, R.O.C. as 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 reiterate our support for a closer economic and trade partnership between the State of Illinois and Taiwan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we continue to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations that impact the health, safety, and well-being of the people of Taiwan and support Taiwan's aspiration to make more contributions in international societies.