HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

117

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

approving and authorizing the establishment of a sister-state relationship between the state of hawaii of the united states of america and the municipality of tianjin in the people's republic of china.

 

WHEREAS, Tianjin, a city in northeastern China, is one of four municipalities under the direct control of the central government of the People's Republic of China, and in 2001 had a population slightly over 10,000,000; and

WHEREAS, the city is made up of 13 districts, five counties, 126 villages, 93 towns, and 133 street communities; and

WHEREAS, the history of Tianjin begins with the opening of the Sui Dynasty's Big Canal (581-617 AD). Beginning in the mid-Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), Tianjin became the nexus for the transport of foodstuffs and silk between south and north China. During the Ming Dynasty (1404 AD), the city figured prominently as a military center. In 1860, its importance as a business and communications center began to grow; and

WHEREAS, Tianjin is known as the Bright Diamond of Bohai Gulf and is the gateway to China's capital of Beijing. Tianjin is one of China's biggest business and industrial port cities and, in north China, is the biggest port city. Tianjin now ranks second in importance and size in terms of industry, business, finance, and trade in the north. Its industrial production and trade volume is second only to Shanghai in the south; and

WHEREAS, the city's traditional industries include mining, metallurgy, machine-building, chemicals, power production, textiles, construction materials, paper-making, foodstuffs, shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, petroleum exploitation and processing, tractor production, fertilizer and pesticide production, and watch, television, and camera manufacturing; and

WHEREAS, in 1994, Tianjin's economic goal was to double its gross national product by the year 2003. With its 1997 gross national product reaching RMB 124 billion yuan (about RMB 8.26 yuan to US$ 1), Tianjin is poised to reach that goal. By the end of 1998, 12,065 foreign-owned companies were established in Tianjin that invested a total of RMB 21.017 billion yuan (about US$ 2.5 billion). About RMB 9.291 billion yuan (about US$ 1.1 billion) of that amount was used for development of Tianjin; and

WHEREAS, in the past, business and other forms of industrial enterprises were primarily state-owned throughout China. However, under on-going nationwide reform, the proportion of businesses that are state-owned is being reduced. In Tianjin, the percentage of state-owned enterprises in 1997 was 35.7 per cent versus 16.6 per cent for collective ownership, and 47.7 per cent for other forms, including private ownership. In the retail sector, the respective proportions were 23.7 per cent, 17.3 per cent, and 59 per cent, respectively; and

WHEREAS, Tianjin has a broad science and technology base upon which to build, for example, it is home to 161 independent research institutions (117 local and 44 national). Aside from its several universities and colleges, Tianjin has six national-level laboratories and 27 national and ministerial-level technological test centers and has plans to increase its science and technology educational goals; and

WHEREAS, in 1984, the State Council issued a directive to establish the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), situated some 35 miles from Tianjin. Recently, some 3,140 foreign-invested companies have located to TEDA with a total investment of over US$ 11 billion; and

WHEREAS, at present, TEDA has developed four pillar industries: electronics and communications, automobile manufacturing and mechanization, food and beverages, and bio-pharmacy, and is promoting four new industries: information software, bioengineering, new energies, and environmental protection; and

WHEREAS, in 1996, TEDA began offering a technology incubator to help small and medium-sized enterprises with funding, tax breaks, personnel, etc. Within the TEDA high-tech park, Tianjin offers preferential treatment in the form of funding, land fees, taxes, and facilities (such as water, gas, and heating). Residential and other services, shopping, and educational and recreation facilities are either already in place or are being planned; and

WHEREAS, for the eleven months ending November 2001, total exports from TEDA was US$ 3.53 billion, of which foreign-funded enterprises accounted for US$ 3.49 billion while total foreign investment in TEDA amounted to US$ 2.3 billion; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii has been, since its early days, the destination of many Chinese immigrants who have helped to develop the State and its economy; and

WHEREAS, compared to the rest of the country, Hawaii is advantageously situated in the Pacific to better establish and maintain cultural, educational, and economic relationships with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, especially the People's Republic of China; and

WHEREAS, the new century we have embarked upon has been described by some as the "century of Asia" or the "China's century"; and

WHEREAS, like Tianjin, Hawaii is also striving to diversify its economy by expanding into environmentally clean high-technology industries including medical services and research; and

WHEREAS, the State also emphasizes the importance of higher education in order to create a solid foundation and workforce to serve as the basis from which to launch initiatives in high-technology development; and

WHEREAS, both Hawaii and Tianjin share many common goals and values as both work towards achieving their economic and educational objectives in the new century, and the people of the State of Hawaii desire to form a mutually beneficial relationship between the State of Hawaii and the municipality of Tianjin to share our knowledge and experiences in order to better assist each other in reaching our goals; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, that Governor Benjamin Cayetano, of the State of Hawaii, or his designee, be authorized and is requested to take all necessary actions to establish a sister-state affiliation with the municipality of Tianjin of the People's Republic of China; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor or his designee is requested to keep the Legislature of the State of Hawaii fully informed of the process in establishing the relationship, and involved in its formalization to the extent practicable; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the municipality of Tianjin be afforded the privileges and honors that Hawaii extends to its sister-states and provinces; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to President of the United States, the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Hawaii's congressional delegation, and the President of the People's Republic of China and the Mayor of the municipality of Tianjin through the Los Angeles Consulate General of the People's Republic of China.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Tianjin, China; Sister-State Relationship