Senate Resolution No. 492

BY: Senator SEPULVEDA

LEGILATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor Kathy
Hochul to proclaim May 23, 2023, as Taiwan Heritage
Day in the State of New York

WHEREAS, The United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan) share
common values and a clear vision for the 21st Century, where freedom and
democracy serve as the foundation for peace, prosperity, and progress;
and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Congress passed the landmark Taiwan Relations Act
(TRA) in 1979 to sustain a close bilateral relationship and to advance
mutual security and commercial interests between the U.S. and Taiwan;
thereafter, the TRA and Six Assurances have served as the cornerstone of
U.S.-Taiwan relations and helped preserve peace and stability in the
Taiwan Strait; and

WHEREAS, Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is crucial to the
maintenance of a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific, and its importance
has been highlighted in recent global events such as the QUAD,
U.S.-Japan, U.S.-Korea, U.S.-EU, G7, NATO, and EAS summits; moreover,
Taiwan is an indispensable partner in safeguarding peace and stability
in the region; and

WHEREAS, The United States and Taiwan share a close, long-term
economic relationship, including $135.5 billion in bilateral trade in
2022, making Taiwan the 9th largest trading partner of the United
States; and it is encouraged for the U.S. and Taiwan to further
strengthen their bilateral trade and investment relationship by signing
an Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (ADTA) and a Bilateral Trade
Agreement (BTA); and

WHEREAS, The United States-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
(IPEF) will help bolster the economic potential of the region by
defining shared trade objectives among partners and addressing standards
for technology, supply chains, the digital economy, and clean energy;
Taiwan supports this initiative and wishes to become a full member of
IPEF; and

WHEREAS, The U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade is
intended to develop concrete ways to deepen the economic and trade
relationship, advance mutual trade priorities based on shared values,
and promote innovative and inclusive economic growth for our workers and
businesses, including through new trade agreements; and

WHEREAS, The United States-Taiwan Education Initiative was launched
in 2020 to strengthen cooperation on international education and
highlight Taiwan's ability to provide Mandarin language instruction, and
given Mandarin's designation as a critical language for maintaining
national security by the United States as well as Taiwan's plans to be
bilingual by 2030, schools and institutes of higher education in both
New York and Taiwan are encouraged to enhance their exchanges; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan is a trustworthy partner in mitigating the impact of
natural disasters by providing disaster relief, humanitarian assistance,
and medical assistance, and it is encouraged to establish a partnership
between the New York National Guard and Taiwan under the State
Partnership Program to facilitate cooperation on training preparedness
and response strategies to future crises; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan's inclusion in the United States' Visa Waiver
Program and Global Entry, and the reciprocal travel facilitation enjoyed
by U.S. citizens when visiting Taiwan, allow Taiwan and the United
States to develop closer relations, and establishing a preclearance
program in Taiwan will further strengthen U.S.-Taiwan relations through
additional trade, tourism, and business opportunities; and

WHEREAS, The United States has assisted Taiwan in participating in
the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), and the International Criminal Police Organization
(INTERPOL), and it will continue to support Taiwan's meaningful
participation in these and other organizations; and

WHEREAS, The State of New York exported $1.41 billion worth of
products to Taiwan in 2022, making it New York's 18th largest foreign
market, and bilateral trade and investment have created over 10,000 jobs
in the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Many of the United States' top 500 companies headquartered
in New York have invested in Taiwan, while more than 300 Taiwanese
companies have invested in the State of New York, contributing to a
mutually beneficial relationship; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan has signed mutual driver's license recognition pacts
with 36 U.S. states since 2013, and almost 20,000 Taiwanese and American
citizens have taken advantage of these pacts; were Taiwan and the State
of New York to enter into a driver's license reciprocity agreement with
each other, this would help increase the mobility of international
students, businessmen, and academics from both sides; and

WHEREAS, The State of New York is home to a thriving overseas ethnic
Chinese community that supports the Republic of China (Taiwan),
including organizations such as the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent
Association, Taiwan Center, the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce of New
York, Inc., and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York, Inc.; these
organizations devote themselves to the harmony and development of the
State of New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 23, 2023, as Taiwan
Heritage Day in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York; Tsai Ing-wen, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan); and
James K. J. Lee, Ambassador of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office
in New York.