Bill Text: CA SR56 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Senate Resolution 56 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Relative to the California-Taiwan bilateral relationship.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-08-18 - Introduced. Referred to Com. on RLS. [SR56 Detail]

Download: California-2021-SR56-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Resolution

No. 56

Introduced by Senator Pan

August 18, 2021

Relative to the California-Taiwan bilateral relationship.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SR 56, as introduced, Pan.

WHEREAS, On August 2, 2020, Director-General Scott Lai assumed his duty as the head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the City of San Francisco, the official representative office and the de facto consulate general of the Government of the Republic of China of Taiwan in the areas of northern California, the State of Nevada, and the State of Utah; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan is a vital partner of the United States and the State of California. Since the Taiwan Relations Act was enacted in 1979, Taiwan has enjoyed extensive, close, and friendly relations with the United States in commerce, culture, tourism, and more; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan and California established a sister state relationship in 1984, and California also declared the first week of May to be “Taiwan Week” in 2015. This relationship has been tangibly strengthened over the past decades in trade, science and technology, education, tourism, and culture; and

WHEREAS, Since he assumed his office, Director-General Lai and his office spare no efforts in promoting the mutually beneficial relationship between Taiwan and California and uniting Taiwanese and Chinese American communities strongly in support of democracy, human rights, freedom, the rule of law, equality, and justice; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan now stands as California’s seventh largest trading partner, with a bilateral trade volume of $26 billion in United States dollars, contributing to more than 120,000 jobs in California. Taiwan is ranked as the 11th largest export market of California agricultural products, with an annual volume of $330,000,000 in United States dollars. In the first half of 2020, Taiwan also became the ninth largest trading partner of the United States and one of the United States’ most important strategic investors. Taiwan-affiliated companies and exports of United States goods and services support over 373,000 well-paying American jobs. The United States-Taiwan relationship is the best it has been in decades; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan has the ability and willingness to contribute to international society, and strives to have meaningful participation in important international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan has donated much needed medical face masks to support California in the joint efforts of containing the spread of COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan has finished 35 driver’s license agreements with state governments in the United States, which has benefited more than 16,000 Taiwanese driver’s licenseholders. The reciprocal driver’s license agreement has become a big incentive for people in Taiwan when choosing where to study or conduct business in the United States, and TECO in the City of San Francisco would like to finish that agreement between Taiwan and California; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate declares that the warm relations and bilateral exchange between California and Taiwan should grow; and be it further

Resolved, That the Senate supports Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and would like to urge the United States Department of State to develop a strategy to help Taiwan reach this goal; and be it further

Resolved, That the Senate encourages the executive branch of the United States to begin discussions with Taiwan for a bilateral trade agreement to further deepen economic cooperation between the two countries; and be it further

Resolved, That the Senate encourages the Californian government to finalize a reciprocal driver’s license agreement forthwith, which will further promote cooperation in many areas between Taiwan and California; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.