HR0195 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0195 LRB099 11134 GRL 31602 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Relations between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the United States, in particular the State of Illinois, which shares sister-city and sister-state relationships, are marked by strong bilateral trade, educational and cultural exchanges, and tourism; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan, which is the world's 19th-largest economy, shares with the United States and the State of Illinois the common values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and a commitment to the rule of law; and

WHEREAS, As of 2014, Taiwan is the United States' 10th-largest trading partner in the world, with bilateral trade worth US $67.4 billion, and is the United States' 14th-largest export market, with total U.S. exports worth US $26.8 billion, and its 12th-largest source of imports; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan and the State of Illinois have enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship and anticipate continuing growth, as Illinois in 2014 continued to rank 5th among all U.S. states in the value of overall exports to Taiwan, worth US $940.13 billion, a 2% increase in value over its 2013 exports to Taiwan; Taiwan ranks as Illinois' 15th-largest export market, its 6th-largest market in Asia, and its 9th-largest source of imports; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan has consistently imported between US $2.5 billion and US $3 billion of U.S. farm products annually and is the world's 2nd largest consumer per-capita of U.S. agricultural goods in 2013; the Illinois economy has greatly benefited from Taiwan's reliably large imports of Illinois farm products, which in 2014 were worth US $578.4 million for agricultural products (US $532.4 million) and food manufactures (US $46 million) combined, together comprising 61.5% of Illinois' total exports to Taiwan that year; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan, in order to contribute to greater regional integration in the Asia-Pacific region and to further promote bilateral investment and trade relations with the United States, Taiwan's 2nd-largest trading partner, seeks to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the proposed 21st century trade agreement between the United States and currently 11 other Asia-Pacific Rim countries; the United States has announced its intention that membership in the TPP expand in the future to include other friendly countries, such as Taiwan; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan is the 19th-largest economy, the 20th-largest exporter, and the 18th-largest importer in the world, according to the 2013 World Trade Organization report; Taiwan also should be included in regional economic integration due to its status as an important economic power, a dynamic market economy, and leading supplier of high-tech products; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan ranks as the world's 14th-freest economy and the 8th freest in the Asian Pacific, according to the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom; Taiwan also ranks as the 13th-most competitive economy worldwide and the 6th most competitive in the Asian Pacific, according to the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development's 2014 report; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan's admission to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program in November of 2012 has, as predicted, led to increased tourist and business travel from Taiwan, increasing more than 29% in the 8 months after Taiwan joined the Visa Waiver Program, according to the April 2014 testimony of U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel R. Russel, who acknowledged the Department's pleasure with the result as "foreign visitors to the United States generate stateside jobs"; moreover, travel by Taiwanese visitors to the United States remains higher than in prior years, having increased 33% in 2013 and 7% in the first half of 2014; and

WHEREAS, Negotiations for a bilateral investment agreement between Taiwan and the United States are an important step toward further strengthening bilateral trade and paving the way for entering into a free trade agreement between our 2 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, as a full-fledged democracy that 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, should be allowed to participate appropriately in international organizations, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, so as to advance the welfare of the 23 million people of Taiwan and further contribute to the international community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we reaffirm our commitment to the strong and deepening sister-city and sister-state relationships between Taiwan and the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our continued support for Taiwan's efforts to secure entry to the Trans-Pacific Partnership to contribute to greater regional integration; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our continued endorsement of the signing of a bilateral investment agreement between Taiwan and the United States to promote Taiwan's 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 we reaffirm our support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, that impact the health, safety, and well-being of Taiwan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to United States Secretary of State John F. Kerry, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.