00                     HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 28 am                                                                   
01 Urging the United States Congress to support the granting of official Observer Status to                                
02 the Republic of China at the World Health Assembly Annual Conference to be held at                                      
03 Geneva, Switzerland, in May 2003, and to support negotiation of a free trade agreement                                  
04 with the Republic of China.                                                                                             
05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
06       WHEREAS the United States, including the State of Alaska, and the Republic of                                   
07 China, in Taiwan, have long been valued and close partners in trade and cultural exchanges;                             
08 and                                                                                                                     
09       WHEREAS the Republic of China is the eighth largest trading partner of the United                               
10 States and is a significant trading partner of the State of Alaska; and                                                 
11       WHEREAS the Republic of China is showing signs of significant potential for                                     
12 increasing trade with the United States and the State of Alaska as the world economy                                    
13 continues to recover from recession; and                                                                                
14       WHEREAS free trade among the peoples of the world is of vital importance to the                                 
15 United States, including the citizens of Alaska, and to the Republic of China; and                                      

01       WHEREAS the importance of free trade is strongly acknowledged in Alaska, the                                    
02 Municipality of Anchorage and the City of Taipei having signed a Partner Cities Agreement                               
03 to encourage trade and cultural exchange; and                                                                           
04       WHEREAS the United States and the Republic of China have, for decades, been                                     
05 willing signers of mutual defense treaties; and                                                                         
06       WHEREAS the health of the peoples of the world is of vital importance to the United                             
07 States, including the citizens of Alaska, and to the Republic of China; and                                             
08       WHEREAS the people of the United States and the Republic of China have                                          
09 generously contributed to programs that benefit the health of the peoples of the world; and                             
10       WHEREAS it would be mutually beneficial to the people of the United States,                                     
11 including Alaska, and the people of the Republic of China to both assist and realize a                                  
12 continuation of international efforts the goal of which is to expand and further develop health-                        
13 related knowledge; and                                                                                                  
14       WHEREAS today there is a strong need for the rapid and complete international                                   
15 dissemination of health-medical information and research results in view of the recent                                  
16 outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), considered to be a worldwide                                  
17 health threat;                                                                                                          
18       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the United States                                   
19 Congress to authorize the United States to endorse the request by the Republic of China to be                           
20 granted Observer Status at the World Health Assembly Annual Conference in May 2003 at                                   
21 Geneva, Switzerland; and be it                                                                                          
22       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States                                      
23 Congress to encourage the administration of President George W. Bush to negotiate a free                                
24 trade agreement with the Republic of China.                                                                             
25       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Chen Shui-bian, President of                           
26 the Republic of China; the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States; the                                
27 Honorable Colin Powell, United States Secretary of State; the Honorable Tommy Thompson,                                 
28 United States Secretary of Health and Human Services; the World Health Assembly; the                                    
29 World Health Organization; Jack K. C. Chiang, Director General, Taipei Economic and                                     
30 Cultural Office, 2001 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2410, Seattle, WA  98121; and to the Honorable                                
31 Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don                                      

01 Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.