CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION Senate Resolution No. 56Introduced by Senator PanAugust 18, 2021 Relative to the California-Taiwan bilateral relationship. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSR 56, as introduced, Pan. Digest KeyBill TextWHEREAS, 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; andWHEREAS, 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; andWHEREAS, 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; andWHEREAS, 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; andWHEREAS, Taiwan now stands as Californias 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; andWHEREAS, 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; andWHEREAS, Taiwan has donated much needed medical face masks to support California in the joint efforts of containing the spread of COVID-19; andWHEREAS, Taiwan has finished 35 drivers license agreements with state governments in the United States, which has benefited more than 16,000 Taiwanese drivers licenseholders. The reciprocal drivers 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 itResolved 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 furtherResolved, That the Senate supports Taiwans 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 furtherResolved, 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 furtherResolved, That the Senate encourages the Californian government to finalize a reciprocal drivers license agreement forthwith, which will further promote cooperation in many areas between Taiwan and California; and be it furtherResolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION Senate Resolution No. 56Introduced by Senator PanAugust 18, 2021 Relative to the California-Taiwan bilateral relationship. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSR 56, as introduced, Pan. Digest Key
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Resolution
No. 56
Introduced by Senator PanAugust 18, 2021
Introduced by Senator Pan
August 18, 2021
Relative to the California-Taiwan bilateral relationship.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SR 56, as introduced, Pan.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
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 Californias 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 drivers license agreements with state governments in the United States, which has benefited more than 16,000 Taiwanese drivers licenseholders. The reciprocal drivers 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 Taiwans 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 drivers 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.