| 1 | 1 | | 23 LC 112 1210 |
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| 2 | 2 | | S. R. 112 |
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| 3 | 3 | | - 1 - |
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| 4 | 4 | | Senate Resolution 112 |
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| 5 | 5 | | By: Senators Brass of the 28th, Rhett of the 33rd, Robertson of the 29th, Rahman of the 5th, |
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| 6 | 6 | | Dolezal of the 27th and others |
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| 7 | 7 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 8 | 8 | | Commending Taiwan for its relations with the United States and the State of Georgia; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1 |
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| 10 | 10 | | for other purposes.2 |
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| 11 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Taiwan is the United States' eighth-largest trading partner, and the United States3 |
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| 12 | 12 | | is Taiwan's second-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to $105 billion in4 |
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| 13 | 13 | | 2021; Georgia's export to Taiwan in 2021 increased 0.3 percent more than that of 2020 and5 |
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| 14 | 14 | | import from Taiwan in 2021 increased 17.2 percent more than that of 2020, making Taiwan6 |
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| 15 | 15 | | the 16th export market and the 12th import country of Georgia; and7 |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, the World Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce (WTCC) held the organization's8 |
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| 17 | 17 | | 28th Annual Conference in Atlanta in March 2022 with over 300 Taiwanese business leaders9 |
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| 18 | 18 | | around the world, which further strengthened the economic ties between Georgia and10 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Taiwan; and11 |
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| 20 | 20 | | WHEREAS, the first "Taiwan Pavilion" was hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural12 |
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| 21 | 21 | | office (TECO) in Atlanta at the Southern Automotive Conference (SAC) in October 2022,13 |
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| 22 | 22 | | joined by eight leading Taiwanese companies related to electric vehicles that successfully14 |
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| 23 | 23 | | facilitated a contract of the Peachtree Corners Curiosity Lab with a Taiwan EV charger15 |
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| 24 | 24 | | solution provider; and16 23 LC 112 1210 |
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| 25 | 25 | | S. R. 112 |
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| 26 | 26 | | - 2 - |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Georgia welcomes all opportunities for an even closer partnership on business, |
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| 28 | 28 | | 17 |
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| 29 | 29 | | educational, cultural, and people to people exchanges between citizens of the United States18 |
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| 30 | 30 | | and Taiwan and for collaborating better together in the worldwide economic recovery efforts;19 |
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| 31 | 31 | | and20 |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Taiwan has been experiencing continuous threats from its authoritarian21 |
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| 33 | 33 | | neighbor of China, which has encroached on Taiwan's security by launching multiple22 |
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| 34 | 34 | | missiles and dispatching numerous aircraft and vessels to enter Taiwan's air defense23 |
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| 35 | 35 | | identification zone (ADIZ) and cross the Taiwan Strait median line, disseminating24 |
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| 36 | 36 | | disinformation and launching cyber-attacks, and repeatedly excluding Taiwan from the25 |
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| 37 | 37 | | international system, as demonstrated through its denial of Taiwan's participation in the26 |
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| 38 | 38 | | United Nations system meetings, mechanisms, conventions and activities; and27 |
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| 39 | 39 | | WHEREAS, in 2022, the United States and Taiwan have experienced strengthening in28 |
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| 40 | 40 | | bilateral relations, including the launch of the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade,29 |
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| 41 | 41 | | which facilitates a roadmap for negotiations on an economic and trade agreement with30 |
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| 42 | 42 | | high-standard commitments; the visiting of numerous elected high-ranking officials amid31 |
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| 43 | 43 | | China's provocation; the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which32 |
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| 44 | 44 | | facilitates a defense modernization program for Taiwan to deter China's aggression; and the33 |
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| 45 | 45 | | signing of the Taiwan-US MOU on Development and Humanitarian Assistance Cooperation,34 |
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| 46 | 46 | | which highlights that Taiwan is an significant stakeholder globally; and35 |
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| 47 | 47 | | WHEREAS, the United States will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in36 |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2023. Being a formal member of the APEC, Taiwan keeps making great contributions and37 |
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| 49 | 49 | | is an indispensable key partner to the welfare of the people in Asia-Pacific region.38 23 LC 112 1210 |
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| 50 | 50 | | S. R. 112 |
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| 51 | 51 | | - 3 - |
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| 52 | 52 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body |
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| 53 | 53 | | 39 |
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| 54 | 54 | | support the establishment of a trade office in Taiwan as South Carolina, New Mexico,40 |
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| 55 | 55 | | Montana, and Pennsylvania have recently done in order to attract more investments;41 |
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| 56 | 56 | | encourage officials and members of legislature to conduct more frequent exchanges with42 |
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| 57 | 57 | | their Taiwanese counterparts; and urge for the signing of an education cooperation MOU43 |
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| 58 | 58 | | with Taiwan aimed at promoting Mandarin-English language, teachers, and students44 |
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| 59 | 59 | | exchange.45 |
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| 60 | 60 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body further support the US-Taiwan46 |
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| 61 | 61 | | Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and the negotiations on a Bilateral Trade Agreement as47 |
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| 62 | 62 | | Taiwanese companies are looking for diverse and free markets in the United States instead48 |
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| 63 | 63 | | of China, as well as Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations and49 |
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| 64 | 64 | | mechanisms such as WHO, UNFCCC, ICAO, INTERPOL, and IPEF.50 |
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| 65 | 65 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed51 |
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| 66 | 66 | | to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Governor Brian52 |
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| 67 | 67 | | Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia Congressional Delegation, and53 |
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| 68 | 68 | | Mr. Elliot Wang, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta.54 |
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