New York K 525: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 23, 2023, as Taiwan Heritage Day in the State of New York

Bill Text

Assembly Resolution No. 525
M. of A. RamosBY:
Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaimMEMORIALIZING
May 23, 2023, as Taiwan Heritage Day in the State of
New York
The United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan) shareWHEREAS,
common values and a clear vision for the 21st Century, where freedom and
democracy serve as the foundation for peace, prosperity, and progress;
and
The U.S. Congress passed the landmark Taiwan Relations ActWHEREAS,
(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
Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is crucial to theWHEREAS,
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
The United States and Taiwan share a close, long-termWHEREAS,
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
The United States-led Indo-Pacific Economic FrameworkWHEREAS,
(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
The U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade isWHEREAS,
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
The United States-Taiwan Education Initiative was launchedWHEREAS,
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
Taiwan is a trustworthy partner in mitigating the impact ofWHEREAS,
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
Taiwan's inclusion in the United States' Visa WaiverWHEREAS,
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
The United States has assisted Taiwan in participating inWHEREAS,
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
The State of New York exported $1.41 billion worth ofWHEREAS,
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
Many of the United States' top 500 companies headquarteredWHEREAS,
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
In addition, Taiwan has signed mutual driver's licenseWHEREAS,
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
The State of New York is home to a thriving overseas ethnicWHEREAS,
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 Ch