On May 25, 2023, the New Jersey State Legislature passed assembly resolution AR 131 Commemorating New Jersey-Taiwan sister state relationship and recognizes importance of strong and enduring partnership between New Jersey and Taiwan. The resolution was co-sponsored by Representative Robert Karabinchak (District 18), Representative Sadaf Jaffer (District 16), and Representative Raj Mukherji (District 33).
The text of the resolution states that the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey “recognizes the importance of a strong and enduring partnership between New Jersey and Taiwan, and reiterates its support for a closer economic and trade partnership between the United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan), including the signing of the United States-Taiwan Bilateral Trade Agreement.“
The US-Taiwan Bilateral Trade Agreement Coalition welcomes this resolution and New Jersey’s s support for a Bilateral Trade Agreement with Taiwan.
An Assembly Resolution:
Commemorating the New Jersey-Taiwan sister state relationship and recognizing the importance of a strong and enduring partnership between New Jersey and Taiwan.
WHEREAS, The United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan) are bonded by a shared commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and a free market economy; and
WHEREAS, New Jersey and Taiwan have enjoyed a close and prosperous affiliation since entering into a sister state relationship in 1989, and Newark established a sister city agreement with Taiwan’s Taoyuan City in 2021, demonstrating both sides’ interest in expanding our city-level cooperation; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan is the 8th largest trading partner of the United States, with bilateral trade totaling $114 billion in 2021, and the resumption of high-level United States-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks in June further exemplified the importance of the United States-Taiwan trade and investment relationship; and
WHEREAS, In 2021, New Jersey exported approximately $599 million worth of products to Taiwan, making Taiwan its 5th largest export market in Asia, and both sides are committed to strengthening economic ties, as more than 200 Taiwanese companies have invested in New Jersey, which has helped to create jobs in this State; and
WHEREAS, The Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has expressed interest in signing a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States in order to further enhance the economic partnership between the United States and Taiwan; and
WHEREAS, The second United States-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue (EPPD) took place in 2021, where there was extensive discussion on supply chain resiliency, countering economic coercion, promoting the digital economy, strengthening 5G network security, and advancing collaboration in a variety of science and technology fields; and
WHEREAS, New Jersey and Taiwan signed a Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Reciprocal Issuance of Driver Licenses in 2019, helping increase the mobility of international students, businessmen, and academics from both sides; and
WHEREAS, The United States-Taiwan Education Initiative was launched in 2020 to strengthen cooperation on international education and highlight Taiwan’s ability to provide Mandarin language instruction, and given Mandarin’s designation as a critical language as well as Taiwan’s plans to be English-Mandarin bilingual by 2030, schools and institutions of higher education in both New Jersey and Taiwan are encouraged to enhance their exchanges; and
WHEREAS, The United States and Taiwan signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Coast Guard Working Group (CGWG) in order to preserve maritime resources, reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and participate in joint maritime search and rescue as well as maritime environmental response events; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan is a trustworthy partner in mitigating the impact of natural disasters by providing disaster relief, including humanitarian and medical assistance; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan’s inclusion in the United States’ Visa Waiver Program and Global Entry, and the reciprocal travel facilitation enjoyed by United States citizens when visiting Taiwan, allow Taiwan and the United States, including the sister-state of New Jersey, to develop closer relations, and establishing a preclearance program in Taiwan will further strengthen United States-Taiwan relations through additional trade, tourism and business; and
WHEREAS, The Taiwan Relations Act has served as the cornerstone of the United States-Taiwan relations and helped to preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait; and
WHEREAS, Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is crucial to the maintenance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and its importance has been highlighted on a global level recently, including at events such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, United States-Japan, United States-Korea, United States-European Union, the Group of Seven (G7), and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) talks; and
WHEREAS, The United States has assisted Taiwan in participating in the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and it will continue to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in these and other international organizations; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House commemorates the New Jersey-Taiwan sister state relationship and recognizes the importance of a strong and enduring partnership between New Jersey and Taiwan, and reiterates its support for a closer economic and trade partnership between the United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan), including the signing of the United States-Taiwan Bilateral Trade Agreement.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to President Tsai-Ing-wen of the Republic of China (Taiwan) through the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, the President of the United States, and the Secretary of State of the United States.
Source: New Jersey Legislature AR 131