| R 102 |
| 2015 -- H 5198 Enacted 03/06/2015 |
| 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: Representatives Kennedy, Shekarchi, Lima, Corvese, and Keable |
| Date Introduced: January 21, 2015 |
| 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 |
| 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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| LC000641 |
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