SENATE RESOLUTION
8615
BySenators Ericksen, Nguyen, Bailey, Keiser, Takko, Hunt, Carlyle, Dhingra, Braun, Randall, Brown, Wagoner, Rivers, Walsh, Cleveland, Wilson, L., Hawkins, Warnick, Holy, Zeiger, Honeyford, Padden, Fortunato, Short, Schoesler, King, and Hasegawa
WHEREAS, Taiwan shares a historical and close relationship marked by strong bilateral trade, educational and cultural exchanges, and tourism with the United States and the State of Washington; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan, the United States, and the State of Washington all cherish dearly the common values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law; and
WHEREAS, The United States is Taiwan's second largest trading partner and the second largest destination of Taiwan's outward investment, while Taiwan is the tenth largest trading partner of the United States, with bilateral trade in goods and in services having reached 86.8 billion dollars in 2017; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan and the State of Washington have enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the prospect of further growth, and Taiwan was Washington's sixth largest export destination in 2017; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan is the seventh largest export destination for United States agricultural goods, and has traditionally ranked among the top three importers of Washington wheat; and
WHEREAS, The State of Washington welcomes opportunities for an even closer economic partnership to increase trade and investment through agreements between the United States and Taiwan to boost stronger exports from Washington to Taiwan and create greater benefits for all citizens of Washington; and
WHEREAS, This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act, which codified in law the legal basis for continued commercial and cultural relations between the United States and Taiwan; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan, as a willing and contributing member of the world community, has worked with the United States to address regional and global challenges under the mechanism of the United States-Taiwan Global Cooperation and Training Framework, and jointly conducted capacity building programs for regional experts in areas of public health, women empowerment, energy efficiency, and bridging digital gaps; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan has proven to be a valuable contributor in a broad range of global issues, through providing humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, safeguarding cybersecurity, fighting against terrorism, and jointly tackling transnational crime; and
WHEREAS, It is appropriate that Taiwan be permitted meaningful participation in various international organizations that impact public health, international safety, and the global environment, including the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the International Criminal Police Organization;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
(1) That the Washington State Senate reaffirms its commitment to the strong and deepening relationship between the people of Taiwan and the State of Washington; and
(2) That the Washington State Senate supports Taiwan's participation in international organizations that impact the global trade, health, safety, and the well-being of the twenty-three million people in Taiwan; and
(3) That the Washington State Senate welcomes the periodic trade talks under the United States-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, and the signing of bilateral trade agreements between the United States and Taiwan in the process of closer economic integration.
I, Brad Hendrickson, Secretary of the Senate,
do hereby certify that this is a true and
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8615,
adopted by the Senate
April 12, 2019
BRAD HENDRICKSON
Secretary of the Senate