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.