STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3494

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 2

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 2 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN AS AN OBSERVER IN THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION; SUPPORTING THE FURTHER PROGRESS ON THE US-TAIWAN INITIATIVE ON 21ST-CENTURY TRADE, A SPEEDY CONCLUSION TO THIS NEGOTIATION, AND ENCOURAGING THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE TO COMMENCE NEGOTIATIONS TO ENTER INTO A BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT WITH TAIWAN; AND SUPPORTING THE STATE OF HAWAII'S THIRTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF SISTER-STATE RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN AND COMMEMORATING THE FORTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Legislature to endorse the participation of Taiwan as an observer in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, International Civil Aviation Organization, World Health Organization, and International Criminal Police Organization; support the further progress on the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade, a speedy conclusion to this negotiation, and encourage the United States Trade Representative to commence negotiations to enter into a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan; and support the State of Hawaii's thirty-first anniversary of sister-state relations with Taiwan and commemorate the forty-fifth anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.

Your Committee finds that the United States and the Republic of China, known commonly in the United States as Taiwan, are bonded by a shared commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and a free market economy. Your Committee further finds that for years, Taiwan supported United States-led efforts to bolster the economic potential of the Indo-Pacific region by defining shared trade objectives among partners and by addressing standards for technology, supply chains, the digital economy, and clean energy. Your Committee concludes that it is critical to strengthen the ties between Taiwan and the United States, by assisting Taiwan on a global stage, developing stronger US-Taiwan trade initiatives, and supporting Hawaii's sister-state relationship with Taiwan.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 2, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 2, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Culture and the Arts,

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CHRIS LEE, Chair