SR0060 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0060 LRB102 16209 MST 21588 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In 1992, the State of Illinois established the sister-state relationship with Taiwan Province, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Illinois and Taiwan have enjoyed strong bilateral trade, educational and cultural exchanges, and tourism; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan 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; and

WHEREAS, The United States ranks as Taiwan's second-largest trading partner; Taiwan is the tenth-largest trading partner of the United States, and bilateral trade reached US$ 85.5 billion in 2019; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan and the State of Illinois have enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the prospect of future growth; Taiwan was Illinois's seventh-largest export market in Asia in 2019, with US$ 667 million worth of Illinois goods exported to Taiwan; and

WHEREAS, Negotiations for a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between Taiwan and the United States are an important step toward further strengthening bilateral trade between our countries, thereby increasing exports from Illinois to Taiwan and creating bilateral investment and technical collaboration through tariff reduction and other trade facilitation measures; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan has undertaken a policy of "steadfast diplomacy" in its international relations; it is capable of, and willing to, fulfill its responsibilities and to collaborate with the world to deal with the challenges of humanitarian aid, disease control, and so forth; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we reaffirm our commitment to the strengthening and deepening of the sister ties between the State of Illinois and Taiwan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we endorse Taiwan's efforts to secure the signing of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States and reiterate our support for a closer economic and trade partnership between the State of Illinois and Taiwan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we continue to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations which impact the health, safety, and well-being of the people of Taiwan and support Taiwan's aspiration to make more contributions in international societies.