093_HR0128
LRB093 11280 KEF 12997 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The United States supports the right to freedom,
3 economic prosperity, and good health for all peoples in all
4 corners of the globe; and
5 WHEREAS, The United States is also willing to come to the
6 aid of nations in need of assistance when establishing a
7 democratic government and free market economy, the
8 cornerstones of any nation seeking to provide its people,
9 freedom, economic prosperity, and good health; and
10 WHEREAS, The 23 million citizens of the island of Taiwan
11 are proof that, with just a bit of encouragement from allies,
12 the will, determination, and commitment of a proud people is
13 all that is needed to foster democracy, freedom, economic
14 prosperity, and good health; and
15 WHEREAS, With 56 years of democratic governance pursuant
16 to constitutional rule, the world is impressed with the
17 strides the people of Taiwan have made in the area of public
18 health by controlling acute infectious diseases and
19 eliminating malaria, improving children's and women's health,
20 establishing a complete health and medical network, setting
21 up an emergency medical system, and implementing a national
22 health insurance program; and
23 WHEREAS, The people of Taiwan have also made equally
24 impressive strides in the area of economics by sustaining a
25 growing economy which had a Gross National Product of $313.9
26 billion in 2000, by being the eighth largest market worldwide
27 for United States' exports, totaling $18.2 billion in 2001,
28 and with Taiwanese companies investing $1.1 billion in the
29 United States in 2001; and
30 WHEREAS, The people of Taiwan do not wish to rest on
31 their public health and economic laurels but wish to further
-2- LRB093 11280 KEF 12997 r
1 improve their own economy and health care system, in addition
2 to striving to improve the economies and health care systems
3 of the other nations of the world, a sign of good will and
4 peace which is indicative of all democratic nations of the
5 world; and
6 WHEREAS, Taiwan can reach these goals should it have the
7 opportunity to participate as an observer in the World Health
8 Organization, which is dedicated to the fundamental right of
9 every human being to enjoy the highest attainable standard of
10 health possible, and should it have the opportunity to enter
11 into a free trade agreement with the United States;
12 therefore, be it
13 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15 the Illinois House of Representatives joins the United States
16 Government and the governments of the world in support of
17 granting Taiwan observer status in the World Health
18 Organization so that it may further improve the health care
19 that is provided to its citizens and so that Taiwan may more
20 formally share the knowledge and improvements it has made to
21 its own health care system with the nations and peoples of
22 the world; and be it further
23 RESOLVED, That the Illinois House of Representatives
24 encourages the Taiwanese and the United States Government to
25 establish a Taiwan-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (TUFTA) which
26 will only serve to improve an already strong and mutually
27 profitable economic relationship between both Taiwan and the
28 United States, which will benefit Taiwan's consumers,
29 security, and democracy, and which will serve America's
30 broader interests in the Asia-Pacific region; and be it
31 further
32 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
-3- LRB093 11280 KEF 12997 r
1 furnished to President George W. Bush, the Illinois
2 delegation of the United States Congress, and to President
3 Chen Shui-bian on behalf of the 23 million citizens of
4 Taiwan, friends of the citizens of the State of Illinois and
5 of the United States.