| 8 | 7 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 9 | 8 | | Commending Taiwan for its relations with the United States and the State of Georgia; and |
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| 10 | 9 | | 1 |
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| 11 | 10 | | for other purposes.2 |
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| 12 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Taiwan is the United States' eighth-largest trading partner, and the United States3 |
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| 13 | 12 | | is Taiwan's second-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to $105 billion4 |
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| 14 | 13 | | in 2021; Georgia's export to Taiwan in 2021 increased 0.3 percent more than that of 2020 and5 |
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| 15 | 14 | | import from Taiwan in 2021 increased 17.2 percent more than that of 2020, making Taiwan6 |
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| 16 | 15 | | the 16th export market and the 12th import country of Georgia; and7 |
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| 17 | 16 | | WHEREAS, the World Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce (WTCC) held the organization's8 |
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| 18 | 17 | | 28th Annual Conference in Atlanta in March 2022 with over 300 Taiwanese business leaders9 |
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| 19 | 18 | | around the world, which further strengthened the economic ties between Georgia and10 |
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| 20 | 19 | | Taiwan; and11 |
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| 21 | 20 | | WHEREAS, the first "Taiwan Pavilion" was hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural12 |
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| 22 | 21 | | office (TECO) in Atlanta at the Southern Automotive Conference (SAC) in October 2022,13 |
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| 23 | 22 | | joined by eight leading Taiwanese companies related to electric vehicles that successfully14 |
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| 24 | 23 | | facilitated a contract of the Peachtree Corners Curiosity Lab with a Taiwan EV charger15 |
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| 25 | 24 | | solution provider; and16 23 LC 112 1345 |
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| 26 | 25 | | S. R. 176 |
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| 27 | 26 | | - 2 - |
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| 28 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Georgia welcomes all opportunities for an even closer partnership on business, |
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| 29 | 28 | | 17 |
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| 30 | 29 | | educational, cultural, and people to people exchanges between citizens of the United States18 |
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| 31 | 30 | | and Taiwan and for collaborating better together in the worldwide economic recovery efforts;19 |
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| 32 | 31 | | and20 |
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| 33 | 32 | | WHEREAS, in 2022, the United States and Taiwan have experienced strengthening in21 |
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| 34 | 33 | | bilateral relations, including the launch of the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade,22 |
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| 35 | 34 | | which facilitates a roadmap for negotiations on an economic and trade agreement with23 |
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| 36 | 35 | | high-standard commitments, as well as the visiting of numerous elected high-ranking24 |
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| 37 | 36 | | officials; and25 |
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| 38 | 37 | | WHEREAS, the United States will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)26 |
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| 39 | 38 | | in 2023. Being a formal member of the APEC, Taiwan keeps making great contributions and27 |
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| 40 | 39 | | is an indispensable key partner to the welfare of the people in Asia-Pacific region.28 |
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| 41 | 40 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body29 |
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| 42 | 41 | | support the establishment of a trade office in Taiwan as South Carolina, New Mexico,30 |
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| 43 | 42 | | Montana, and Pennsylvania have recently done in order to attract more investments;31 |
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| 44 | 43 | | encourage officials and members of legislature to conduct more frequent exchanges with32 |
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| 45 | 44 | | their Taiwanese counterparts; and urge for the signing of an education cooperation MOU33 |
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| 46 | 45 | | with Taiwan aimed at promoting Mandarin-English language, teachers, and students34 |
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| 47 | 46 | | exchange.35 |
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| 48 | 47 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body further support the US-Taiwan36 |
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| 49 | 48 | | Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and the negotiations on a Bilateral Trade Agreement as37 |
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| 50 | 49 | | Taiwanese companies are looking for diverse and free markets in the United States as well38 23 LC 112 1345 |
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| 51 | 50 | | S. R. 176 |
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| 52 | 51 | | - 3 - |
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| 53 | 52 | | as Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations and mechanisms such as |
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| 54 | 53 | | 39 |
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| 55 | 54 | | WHO, UNFCCC, ICAO, INTERPOL, and IPEF.40 |
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| 56 | 55 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed41 |
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| 57 | 56 | | to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Governor Brian42 |
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| 58 | 57 | | Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia Congressional Delegation, and43 |
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| 59 | 58 | | Mr. Elliot Wang, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta.44 |
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