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A RESOLUTION commending Taiwan for its relations with the United States and 1
the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 2
WHEREAS, on January 13, 2024, Taiwan completed another su ccessful 3
presidential and legislative election; and 4
WHEREAS, Taiwan is the United States' ninth-largest trading partner, and the 5
United States is Taiwan's second-largest trading partner, with an estimated bilateral trade 6
amount of $160 billion in 2022; and 7
WHEREAS, Kentucky's exports to Taiwan increased 62.6 percent between 2020 8
and 2021, and Kentucky's imports from Taiwan increased 49.2 percent between 2020 and 9
2021, making Taiwan Kentucky's eighteenth highest export country and thirteenth 10
highest import country; and 11
WHEREAS, the year 2024 marks the landmark 45th anniversary of the enactment 12
of the Taiwan Relations Act, which has facilitated an even closer partnership between the 13
United States and Taiwan in security, business, education, culture, and people-to-people 14
exchanges; and 15
WHEREAS, in 2023, Taiwan welcomed the largest number of United States 16
official delegations to date; and 17
WHEREAS, Kentucky became a bellwether of education after the launch of the 18
"U.S.–Taiwan Education Initiative" in 2020, by signing the higher education and K-12 19
cooperation memoranda of understanding with Taiwan in 2021, facilitating more 20
Mandarin and English language exchanges between students and teachers; and 21
WHEREAS, under this memorandum of understanding, and thanks to the 22
cooperation between the Kentucky Department of Education and the Asia Institute Crane 23
House, Taiwan welcomed nine English teachers to host a three-week English summer 24
camp for 16 elementary and middle schools; and 25
WHEREAS, Kentucky welcomes all opportunities for an even closer partnership on 26
business, educational, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges between citizens of the 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1601
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United States and Taiwan, and hopes to collaborate better together in the worldwide post-1
pandemic economic recovery efforts; and 2
WHEREAS, Taiwan has been experiencing continuous threats from their 3
authoritarian neighbor, China, which has encroached on Taiwan's security by launching 4
multiple missiles and dispatching numerous aircraft and vessels into Taiwan's air defense 5
identification zone and across the Taiwan Strait median line. China has also disseminated 6
disinformation, launched cyberattacks, and repeatedly excluded Taiwan from the 7
international system as demonstrated through its denial of Taiwan's participation in the 8
United Nations system meetings, mechanisms, conventions, and activities; and 9
WHEREAS, in 2022, the United States and Taiwan saw a strengthening in bilateral 10
relations with the launch of the "U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade," which 11
facilitates a roadmap for negotiations on economic and trade agreements with high-12
standard commitments; visits from numerous high-ranking elected officials amidst 13
China's provocation; the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023," 14
which facilitates a defense modernization program for Taiwan to deter China's 15
aggression; and the signing of the "Taiwan-U.S. Memorandum of Understanding on 16
Development and Humanitarian Assistance Cooperation," which highlights that Taiwan 17
is a significant stakeholder globally; and 18
WHEREAS, in June 2023, the United States and Taiwan signed the first agreement 19
under the "US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade," covering customs and border 20
procedures, regulatory practices, and small business; and 21
WHEREAS, as a formal member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 22
(APEC) since 1991, Taiwan continues to make great contributions and is an 23
indispensable key partner to the welfare of the people in the Asia-Pacific region; 24
NOW, THEREFORE, 25
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 26
Kentucky: 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1601
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Section 1. The Senate encourages the members of this body to join the Taiwan 1
Caucus in urging the Commonwealth of Kentucky to establish a trade office in Taiwan, 2
as North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania 3
have recently done. The establishment of a trade office in Taiwan will attract more 4
investments in Taiwan and the Commonwealth and enable the Commonwealth's officials 5
and General Assembly members to conduct more frequent exchanges with their 6
Taiwanese counterparts. 7
Section 2. The Senate supports the "US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century 8
Trade" and the negotiations on the Bilateral Trade Agreement as Taiwanese companies 9
are looking for diverse and free markets in the United States instead of China, and further 10
supports Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations and 11
mechanisms such as the World Health Organization, United Nations Framework 12
Convention on Climate Change, International Civil Aviation Organization, International 13
Criminal Police Organization, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-14
Pacific Partnership, and Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. 15
Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 16
Resolution to Governor Andy Beshear, Secretary of State Michael G. Adams, the 17
Kentucky Congressional Delegation, and Mr. Elliot Wang, Director-General of the Taipei 18
Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta, Georgia. 19