SENATE RESOLUTION

8612

BySenators Honeyford, Braun, Brown, Dhingra, Ericksen, King, Mullet, Muzzall, Rivers, Salomon, Schoesler, Wagoner, Warnick, and Wilson, J.

WHEREAS, The people of the State of Washington and the people of Taiwan are bonded by their shared commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and a free market economy; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan is the 10th largest trading partner of the United States, with bilateral trade totaling $85.5 billion in 2019; and

WHEREAS, In 2019, Washington State exported approximately $1.8 billion worth of products to Taiwan, making Taiwan the 4th largest export market for the state in Asia; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan is the 6th largest export destination for United States agricultural goods, and has ranked among the top three importers of Washington apples, beef, and wheat; and

WHEREAS, Taiwanese companies that invest in Washington State, including WaferTech, Eva Air, Evergreen Marine, Yang Mine Marine Transport, and Lightel Technologies, and others, have helped to create more than 15,000 jobs in this state; and

WHEREAS, The United States Congress passed the landmark Taiwan Relation Act in 1979 to sustain a close, bilateral relationship as well as to advance mutual security and commercial interests between the United States and Taiwan; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan has a strong economy and the people of Taiwan are dedicated to democratic freedoms; and

WHEREAS, The United States government has expressed views similar to those of the people of Taiwan before various international bodies and organizations; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan is one of the world's biggest suppliers of medical-grade masks and one of the few places to have successfully battled back COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, The people of Taiwan generously donated more than 2,000,000 medical face masks to the people of the United States in the early days of the pandemic, including 100,000 masks for use by medical personnel, first responders, and election staff workers, which were delivered to the State of Washington on behalf of the Taiwanese people and received by Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman on May 8th; and

WHEREAS, The people of Washington recognize the importance of a strong and enduring partnership with the people of Taiwan;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor the historic trade partnership, the continued cooperative relationship, and the enduring mutual appreciation and affection of our peoples.