Bill Text: NY K00525 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 23, 2023, as Taiwan Heritage Day in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 37-1)

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-23 - adopted [K00525 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K00525-Introduced.html

Assembly Resolution No. 525

BY: M. of A. Ramos

        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  in  order  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,  In  addition,  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.
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