Florida Senate - 2017 (NP) SR 1798 By Senator Campbell 38-02655-17 20171798__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution expressing appreciation for the sister 3 state relationship and bilateral economic and cultural 4 ties between the State of Florida and Taiwan. 5 6 WHEREAS, the people of Taiwan, officially known as the 7 Republic of China, successfully elected their first female 8 president, Dr. Tsai Ing-wen, on January 16, 2016, by popular 9 vote, further enhancing the roots of democracy within the island 10 and strengthening the common values it shares with the United 11 States, and 12 WHEREAS, April 10, 2017, marks the 38th anniversary of the 13 enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act, which codified in law the 14 basis for continued commercial and cultural relations between 15 the United States and Taiwan, and 16 WHEREAS, former President Ma Ying-jeou’s East China Sea 17 Peace Initiative and South China Sea Peace Initiative, and their 18 respective codes of conduct, recognize the conflicting 19 territorial viewpoints of the interested parties and call on all 20 concerned parties to resolve their regional disputes peacefully 21 and share resources in accordance with international law, and 22 WHEREAS, these initiatives are consistent with the security 23 and economic interests of the United States in East and 24 Southeast Asia, and 25 WHEREAS, Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international 26 organizations, including its bid for observer status in the 27 International Criminal Police Organization, known as INTERPOL, 28 is significant, as is its participation in or cooperation with 29 more than 50 international organizations, including its recent 30 active participation in the triennial International Civil 31 Aviation Organization Assembly and its membership status in both 32 the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the World Trade 33 Organization, and 34 WHEREAS, the State of Florida maintains and values its 35 sister state relationship with Taiwan, which is Florida’s sixth 36 largest export market in Asia, one of Miami’s largest trading 37 partners in Asia, and PortMiami’s sixth largest export country, 38 and 39 WHEREAS, in addition to the sister state relationship that 40 exists between the State of Florida and Taiwan, sister city 41 relationships are maintained between Miami-Dade County and New 42 Taipei City, formerly Taipei County, and between PortMiami and 43 Port Kaohsiung, NOW, THEREFORE, 44 45 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 46 47 That the Florida Senate expresses its appreciation for the 48 sister state relationship between the State of Florida and 49 Taiwan. 50 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 51 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to the Taipei 52 Economic and Cultural Office in Miami and the Executive Office 53 of the Governor as a tangible token of the sentiments of the 54 Florida Senate.