HR0195 LRB099 11134 GRL 31602 r
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 19th-largest
8		economy, shares with the United States and the State of
9		Illinois the common values of freedom, democracy, human rights,
10		and a commitment to the rule of law; and
11		WHEREAS, As of 2014, Taiwan is the United States'
12		10th-largest trading partner in the world, with bilateral trade
13		worth US $67.4 billion, and is the United States' 14th-largest
14		export market, with total U.S. exports worth US $26.8 billion,
15		and its 12th-largest source of imports; and
16		WHEREAS, Taiwan and the State of Illinois have enjoyed a
17		long and mutually beneficial relationship and anticipate
18		continuing growth, as Illinois in 2014 continued to rank 5th
19		among all U.S. states in the value of overall exports to
20		Taiwan, worth US $940.13 billion, a 2% increase in value over
21		its 2013 exports to Taiwan; Taiwan ranks as Illinois'
22		15th-largest export market, its 6th-largest market in Asia, and

HR0195 - 2 - LRB099 11134 GRL 31602 r
1		its 9th-largest source of imports; and
2		WHEREAS, Taiwan has consistently imported between US $2.5
3		billion and US $3 billion of U.S. farm products annually and is
4		the world's 2nd largest consumer per-capita of U.S.
5		agricultural goods in 2013; the Illinois economy has greatly
6		benefited from Taiwan's reliably large imports of Illinois farm
7		products, which in 2014 were worth US $578.4 million for
8		agricultural products (US $532.4 million) and food
9		manufactures (US $46 million) combined, together comprising
10		61.5% of Illinois' 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 2nd-largest trading partner, seeks to join the
15		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 is the 19th-largest economy, the
22		20th-largest exporter, and the 18th-largest importer in the
23		world, according to the 2013 World Trade Organization report;

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1		Taiwan also should be included in regional economic integration
2		due to its status as an important economic power, a dynamic
3		market economy, and leading supplier of high-tech products; and
4		WHEREAS, Taiwan ranks as the world's 14th-freest economy
5		and the 8th freest in the Asian Pacific, according to the 2015
6		Index of Economic Freedom; Taiwan also ranks as the 13th-most
7		competitive economy worldwide and the 6th most competitive in
8		the Asian Pacific, according to the Swiss-based International
9		Institute for Management Development's 2014 report; and
10		WHEREAS, Taiwan's admission to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program
11		in November of 2012 has, as predicted, led to increased tourist
12		and business travel from Taiwan, increasing more than 29% in
13		the 8 months after Taiwan joined the Visa Waiver Program,
14		according to the April 2014 testimony of U.S. State Department
15		Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel
16		R. Russel, who acknowledged the Department's pleasure with the
17		result as "foreign visitors to the United States generate
18		stateside jobs"; moreover, travel by Taiwanese visitors to the
19		United States remains higher than in prior years, having
20		increased 33% in 2013 and 7% in the first half of 2014; and
21		WHEREAS, Negotiations for a bilateral investment agreement
22		between Taiwan and the United States are an important step
23		toward further strengthening bilateral trade and paving the way

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1		for entering into a free trade agreement between our 2
2		countries, thereby increasing Illinois's exports to Taiwan and
3		creating bilateral investment and technical collaboration
4		through tariff reduction and other trade facilitation
5		measures; and
6		WHEREAS, Taiwan, as a full-fledged democracy that shares
7		the same values of freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule
8		of law, peace, and prosperity with the United States and the
9		State of Illinois, should be allowed to participate
10		appropriately in international organizations, such as the
11		United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, so as to
12		advance the welfare of the 23 million people of Taiwan and
13		further contribute to the international community; therefore,
14		be it
15		RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16		NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
17		reaffirm our commitment to the strong and deepening sister-city
18		and sister-state relationships between Taiwan and the State of
19		Illinois; and be it further
20		RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our continued support for
21		Taiwan's efforts to secure entry to the Trans-Pacific
22		Partnership to contribute to greater regional integration; and
23		be it further

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1		RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our continued endorsement of the
2		signing of a bilateral investment agreement between Taiwan and
3		the United States to promote Taiwan's bilateral investment and
4		trade relations with the United States and facilitate its
5		economic and other ties with Illinois and the individual
6		states; and be it further
7		RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our support for Taiwan's
8		participation in international organizations, such as the
9		United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, that
10		impact the health, safety, and well-being of Taiwan; and be it
11		further
12		RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
13		presented to United States Secretary of State John F. Kerry,
14		United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
15		Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, and the Taipei
16		Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.