A few days ago, the Rhode Island senate passed a friendship resolution reaffirming the friendship between Rhode Island and Taiwan, commending Taiwan's achievement on its election of the first female president, enhancing bilateral relations, and supporting Taiwan’s active participation in the international community.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Boston indicated that the resolution reaffirms that Taiwan and the U.S. maintain a close relationship founded on the shared values of freedom, democracy, rule of law, and a market economy. The resolution also emphasizes the longstanding, close bilateral ties that Taiwan shares with the U.S. and the state of Rhode Island in trade, education, culture, and tourism, as expressed in agreements such as the mutual visa exemption policy. Taiwan has a robust economy; It is the world’s 19th-largest trading, and is Rhode Island’s second largest Asian export market.
This resolution also expresses support for Taiwan’s accession into important international organizations such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as well as support for Taiwan’s participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a U.S.-Taiwan Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA), and a U.S.-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
TECO Boston indicated that thirty-two U.S. state legislatures passed similar friendship resolutions in 2015, and that four New England states have already passed similar agreements since January: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine. In addition to the recent friendship resolution passed in the state senate, U.S. Representative David Cicilline, Governor Gina Raimando, Lieutenant Governor Daniel McKee, Senate President Teresa Paviva-Weed, and Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello have all sent letters of congratulations to Taiwan’s 14th president, Tsai Ying-wen, following her victory in this year’s election.