Bill Text: NY K00864 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Assembly Resolution 864 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 10, 2022, as Taiwan Heritage Day in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 24-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-05-10 - adopted [K00864 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-K00864-Introduced.html


Assembly Resolution No. 864

BY: M. of A. Rules (Ramos)

        MEMORIALIZING  Governor  Kathy  Hochul to proclaim
        May 10, 2022, 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 $103  billion  in  bilateral  trade  in
2021,  making  Taiwan  the  8th  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-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,  The  United  States  and  Taiwan  signed  a  Memorandum of
Understanding to establish a Coast Guard Working Group (CGWG)  in  order
to   preserve   maritime  resources;  reduce  illegal,  unreported,  and
unregulated fishing; and participate in joint maritime search and rescue
as well as maritime environmental response events; 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; 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  $1.5  billion  worth  of
products  to  Taiwan  in 2021, making it New York's 17th 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 10, 2022, 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.