2015 -- S 0142

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LC000673

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

REAFFIRMING THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND

TAIWAN, ENHANCING BILATERAL TRADE RELATIONS, AND SUPPORTING TAIWAN

IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

     Introduced By: Senators Picard, Crowley, Cote, and Lombardo

     Date Introduced: January 22, 2015

     Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar

     WHEREAS, The United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan) share a most

important relationship supported by our common values of freedom, democracy, rule of law, and

a free market economy; and

     WHEREAS, President Ma Ying-jeou has worked tirelessly to uphold democratic

principles in Taiwan, ensure the prosperity of Taiwan’s 23 million people, promote Taiwan’s

international standing, and further improve relations between the United States and Taiwan; and

     WHEREAS, Taiwan and the United States share the common goal of peace in the East

China Sea, and Taiwan proposed an East China Sea Peace Initiative on August 5, 2012, urging all

parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoid actions that could escalate confrontation in the

region, shelve disputes, not abandon dialogue, and observe international law to resolve disputes in

a peaceful manner; and

     WHEREAS, The United States and Taiwan, and especially Rhode Island, share a

historically close relationship, marked by strong bilateral trade, educational and cultural

exchange, scientific and technological interests, and tourism; and

     WHEREAS, Taiwan has been a member of the United States Visa Waiver Program since

November 1, 2012, reflecting the friendship, trust, and cooperation shared between our two

countries, and making travel between Taiwan and the United States for business and tourism even

more convenient; and

     WHEREAS, The United States ranks as Taiwan’s 3rd largest trading partner, and Taiwan

is the 10th largest trading partner of the United States with bilateral trade in goods and services

from January to November, 2014, between the United States and Taiwan amounting to $61.8

billion. New England exported $1 billion in goods to Taiwan of which Rhode Island exported $81

million in goods, mostly primary metal manufacturing, manufactured commodities, machinery,

and chemicals and Taiwan is Rhode Island's 2nd largest export market in Asia, and 6th largest

export market in the world; and

     WHEREAS, Talks on the Taiwan-United States Trade and Investment Framework

Agreement (TIFA) resumed on March 10, 2013, and negotiations for a Bilateral Investment

Agreement (BIA) between Taiwan and the United States is an important step towards

strengthening bilateral trade and paving the way for entering into a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

between our countries, thereby increasing Rhode Island’s exports to Taiwan and creating greater

bilateral investment and technical collaboration; and

     WHEREAS, The Asia-Pacific is the largest market in the world for United States exports

and the share of Rhode Island exported goods bound for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

countries is 40 percent, and Rhode Island jobs supported by trade with TPP countries is estimated

to be 51,200, with 1,694 companies exporting goods from Rhode Island in 2012, and 15 TPP

companies having investments in Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, Taiwan has attended the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Assembly as a special guest since 2013, and it remains in the interest of the traveling public that

Taiwan be included in the ICAO because Taiwan is a key transport hub in the Asia-Pacific region

and the Taipei Flight Information Region (TAIPEI FIR) under Taiwan's jurisdiction covers an

area of 176,000 square nautical miles with 1.35 million controlled flights with over 40 million

travelers passing through annually, and Taiwan reiterates its commitment to ICAO standards and

seeks to expand its meaningful participation in the ICAO, including attending technical and

regional meetings, and related activities; and

     WHEREAS, The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

is the world’s key instrument to deal with climate change and a concerted global effort to combat

the challenges posed by climate change requires that Taiwan also be included in the work of the

UNFCCC, and Taiwan has expressed a keen interest to participate in the global effort to address

climate change; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence

Plantations hereby reaffirms the friendship between Rhode Island and the Republic of China

(Taiwan), and commends Taiwan’s role as peacemaker in the East China Sea. We furthermore

urge the signing of a United States-Taiwan Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) and Free Trade

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Agreement so as to further strengthen Rhode Island-Taiwan trade relations, and support Taiwan’s

participation in international organizations and agreements, including the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change, the ICAO, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership; and be

it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the

United States; the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation; Governor Gina Raimondo; President

Ma Ying-jeou, on behalf of the 23 million citizens of Taiwan; and Scott Lai, Director-General of

the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston.

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