00                CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 48(RLS)                                                               
01 Sending a message of goodwill to President Chen Shui-bian and to the people of Taiwan,                                  
02 and reaffirming the Alaska State Legislature's 2003 resolution urging the United States                                 
03 Congress to support the granting of official Observer Status to the Republic of China on                                
04 Taiwan and to support negotiation of a free trade agreement with the Republic of China                                  
05 on Taiwan.                                                                                                              
06 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
07       WHEREAS President Chen Shui-bian has been reelected as President of the Republic                                
08 of China on Taiwan; and                                                                                                 
09       WHEREAS Legislative Resolve No. 29, passed by the Alaska State Legislature in the                               
10 First Regular Session of the Twenty-Third Legislature, continues to reflect the view of the                             
11 legislature; and                                                                                                        
12       WHEREAS the United States, including the State of Alaska, and Taiwan have long                                  
13 been valued and close partners in trade and cultural exchanges; and                                                     
14       WHEREAS Taiwan is the eighth largest trading partner of the United States and is a                              
15 significant trading partner of the State of Alaska; and                                                                 

01       WHEREAS Taiwan is showing signs of significant potential for increasing trade with                              
02 the United States and the State of Alaska as the world economy continues to recover from                                
03 recession; and                                                                                                          
04       WHEREAS free trade among the peoples of the world is of vital importance to the                                 
05 United States, including the citizens of Alaska, and to Taiwan; and                                                     
06       WHEREAS the importance of free trade is strongly acknowledged in Alaska, the                                    
07 Municipality of Anchorage and the City of Taipei having signed a Partner Cities Agreement                               
08 to encourage trade and cultural exchange; and                                                                           
09       WHEREAS the United States and Taiwan have, for decades, been willing signers of                                 
10 mutual defense treaties; and                                                                                            
11       WHEREAS the health of the peoples of the world is of vital importance to the United                             
12 States, including the citizens of Alaska, and Taiwan; and                                                               
13       WHEREAS the people of the United States and Taiwan have generously contributed                                  
14 to programs that benefit the health of the peoples of the world; and                                                    
15       WHEREAS it would be mutually beneficial to the people of the United States,                                     
16 including Alaska, and the people of Taiwan to both assist and realize a continuation of                                 
17 international efforts the goal of which is to expand and further develop health-related                                 
18 knowledge; and                                                                                                          
19       WHEREAS today there is a strong need for the rapid and complete international                                   
20 dissemination of health-medical information and research results in view of the recent                                  
21 outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), considered to be a worldwide                                  
22 health threat;                                                                                                          
23       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature continues to encourage the                                     
24 United States Congress to authorize the United States to endorse the request by the Republic                            
25 of China on Taiwan to be granted official Observer Status at the World Health Organization;                             
26 and be it                                                                                                               
27       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature again urges the United                                       
28 States Congress to encourage the administration of President George W. Bush to negotiate a                              
29 free trade agreement with the Republic of China on Taiwan; and be it                                                    
30       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature sends a message of                                           
31 goodwill to President Chen Shui-bian regarding his reelection and reaffirming the State of                              

01 Alaska's relationship with the Republic of China on Taiwan.                                                             
02       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Chen Shui-bian, President of                           
03 the Republic of China on Taiwan; the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United                                  
04 States; the Honorable Colin Powell, United States Secretary of State; the Honorable Tommy                               
05 Thompson, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services; the World Health                                        
06 Assembly; the World Health Organization; Jack K. C. Chiang, Director General, Taipei                                    
07 Economic and Cultural Office, 2001 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2410, Seattle, WA  98121; and to                                 
08 the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the                                      
09 Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.