| R 253 |
| 2022 -- H 8186 Enacted 04/28/2022 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| REAFFIRMING THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN RHODE ISLAND AND TAIWAN, AND SUPPORTING ENHANCED BILATERAL TRADE RELATIONS AND TAIWAN'S INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION |
Introduced By: Representatives Kennedy, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Edwards, Kazarian, Filippi, McNamara, Ackerman, Barros, and Solomon |
| Date Introduced: April 28, 2022 |
| WHEREAS, The United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan) share a vibrant |
| bilateral relationship marked by a mutually beneficial partnership, supported by our common |
| values of freedom, democracy, rule of law, and a free market economy, and our countries now |
| enjoy robust and resilient diplomatic relations; and |
| WHEREAS, The United States ranks as Taiwan's second-largest trading partner, and |
| Taiwan is the eighth-largest trading partner of the United States, with U.S. trade in goods with |
| Taiwan totaling and estimated $114.1 billion in 2021; and |
| WHEREAS, President Tsai Ing-wen has expressed Taiwan's desire to reach a Bilateral |
| Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States, which will certainly increase trade and |
| exchanges between Rhode Island and Taiwan; and |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island and Taiwan have enjoyed a long history of vibrant bilateral |
| relations, including trade, as evidenced by Rhode Island having exported $39 million in goods in |
| 2021, and Rhode Island having imported $56 million in goods from Taiwan in 2021; and |
| WHEREAS, The Taiwan Government desires to establish a Memorandum of |
| Understanding with Rhode Island to increase educational exchange between Taiwan and Rhode |
| Island; and |
| WHEREAS, The Taiwan Government donated 135,000 surgical masks and 5,000 N95 |
| masks to the State of Rhode Island to assist in the fight against COVID-19 and Omicron, |
| demonstrating that Taiwan values the relationship with Rhode Island; and |
| WHEREAS, Taiwan is a key air transport hub in Asia, therefore, its inclusion in |
| international organizations and agreements such as the World Health Organization (WHO), |
| World Health Assembly (WHA), International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), |
| International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and United Nations Framework Convention on |
| Climate Change (UNFCCC) is in the best interest of the international community; now, therefore |
| be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| encourages the Rhode Island State Government to work closely with Taiwan to strengthen and |
| promote bilateral trade between Rhode Island and Taiwan, and supports Taiwan's participation in |
| international organizations and agreements, including the WHO, WHA, INTERPOL, UNFCCC, |
| and ICAO, and seeks to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan and Rhode Island-Taiwan trade and investment |
| relations by encouraging Rhode Island and the Economic Development Corporation to consider |
| opening a trade office in Taiwan to further strengthen and promote trade relations with Taiwan |
| and the Asia-Pacific region; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit duly certified copies this resolution to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President of the |
| United States; the Rhode Island Delegation to the United States Congress; the Honorable Daniel |
| J. McKee, Governor, State of Rhode Island; the Honorable Tsai Ing-wen, President, Republic of |
| China (Taiwan); and Director-General Jonathan Sun of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office |
| in Boston. |
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| LC005834 |
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