Bill Text: IA SR21 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution reaffirming Iowa's commitment to its relationship with Taiwan and supporting Taiwan's efforts to participate in the international community.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-26 - Resolution adopted. S.J. 718. [SR21 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-SR21-Introduced.html
Senate Resolution 21 - Introduced PAG LIN SENATE RESOLUTION NO. BY DOTZLER, HART, KAPUCIAN, SCHNEIDER, and SODDERS 1 1 A Resolution reaffirming Iowa's commitment to its 1 2 relationship with Taiwan and supporting Taiwan's 1 3 efforts to participate in the international 1 4 community. 1 5 WHEREAS, the relationship between the Republic 1 6 of China (Taiwan) and the United States is marked 1 7 by strong bilateral trade, educational and cultural 1 8 exchange, and tourism; and 1 9 WHEREAS, the State of Iowa's ties with Taiwan are 1 10 demonstrated by its sister=state and sister=city 1 11 relationships; and 1 12 WHEREAS, Taiwan shares with the United States 1 13 and the State of Iowa the common values of freedom, 1 14 democracy, human rights, and rule of law; and 1 15 WHEREAS, in 2013 the United States ranked as 1 16 Taiwan's 3rd largest trading partner and Taiwan ranked 1 17 as the United States' 12th largest trading partner, 1 18 with bilateral trade of $63.6 billion; and 1 19 WHEREAS, Taiwan has consistently imported between 1 20 $2.5 billion and $3 billion annually worth of United 1 21 States farm products, and is the 7th largest market for 1 22 United States agricultural products and the world's 2nd 1 23 largest buyer per=capita of United States agricultural 1 24 goods; and 1 25 WHEREAS, Taiwan and the State of Iowa have enjoyed 1 26 a long and mutually beneficial trade relationship and 1 27 anticipate continuing trade growth, with Taiwan ranking 1 28 as Iowa's 16th largest export destination in 2013; and 2 1 WHEREAS, $97.4 million worth of goods from the State 2 2 of Iowa were shipped to Taiwan in 2013 and comprised, 2 3 in order, food manufactures, miscellaneous manufactured 2 4 commodities, chemicals, machinery, paper, and computer 2 5 and electronic products; and 2 6 WHEREAS, the State of Iowa hosted a Taiwan 2 7 Agricultural Goodwill Mission delegation in 2013, 2 8 reaffirming the cordial relations between Iowa 2 9 and Taiwan and the ongoing mutual trade benefits 2 10 derived from Taiwan's reliable imports of Iowa farm 2 11 products, which in 2013 totaled $63.5 million for food 2 12 manufactures and agricultural products combined; and 2 13 WHEREAS, Taiwan, seeking to contribute to greater 2 14 regional integration in the Asia=Pacific region and 2 15 promotion of bilateral investment and trade relations 2 16 with the United States, should be included in regional 2 17 economic integration based on its status as the world's 2 18 19th largest economy, 20th largest exporter, and 18th 2 19 largest importer, according to a 2013 World Trade 2 20 Organization report; and also due to its status as an 2 21 important economic power, a dynamic market economy, and 2 22 leading supplier of high=tech products; and 2 23 WHEREAS, Taiwan ranks as the 17th most free economy 2 24 in the world according to the 2014 Index of Economic 2 25 Freedom, and the 5th most free economy among 42 2 26 economies in the Asia=Pacific region ranked only behind 2 27 Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand; and 2 28 WHEREAS, according to the Swiss=based International 2 29 Institute for Management Development's 2014 report, 2 30 Taiwan ranks as the 13th most competitive economy 3 1 worldwide and the 4th most competitive economy in the 3 2 Asian Pacific; and 3 3 WHEREAS, negotiations for a bilateral investment 3 4 agreement between Taiwan and the United States are an 3 5 important step toward further strengthening bilateral 3 6 trade and paving the way for entering into a free trade 3 7 agreement between our two nations, thereby increasing 3 8 the State of Iowa's exports to Taiwan and creating 3 9 bilateral investment and technical collaboration 3 10 through tariff reduction and other trade facilitation 3 11 measures; and 3 12 WHEREAS, Taiwan has been and can continue to be a 3 13 valuable and constructive partner in the international 3 14 response to the adverse effects of climate change and 3 15 severe weather emergencies as evidenced by its speedy 3 16 and generous response to aid the victims of Typhoon 3 17 Haiyan; NOW THEREFORE, 3 18 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate 3 19 reaffirms its commitment to the strong and deepening 3 20 sister=city and sister=state relationships between 3 21 Taiwan and the State of Iowa, its support for Taiwan's 3 22 efforts to secure the signing of a bilateral investment 3 23 agreement with the United States, and its support for 3 24 Taiwan's appropriate participation in international 3 25 organizations that impact Taiwan's health, safety, and 3 26 well=being; and 3 27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of 3 28 the Senate is hereby directed to send a copy of this 3 29 Resolution to United States Secretary of State John 3 30 F. Kerry, President Ma Ying=jeou of the Republic of 4 1 China (Taiwan), Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres 4 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 4 3 Change, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in 4 4 Chicago, Illinois. LSB 2624SS (1) 86 rn/rj
