STAND. COM. REP. NO. 875

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 31

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 31 entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE GOVERNOR, DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM, BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I, BOARD OF EDUCATION, AND HAWAI‘I'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO STRENGTHEN THE SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP WITH TAIWAN IN COMMEMORATION OF THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HAWAI‘I AND TAIWAN,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Governor; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii; Board of Education; and Hawaii's Congressional delegation to strengthen the sister-state relationship with Taiwan in commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the sister-state relationship between Hawaii and Taiwan.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; University of Hawaii System; Taipei Economic and Cultural Office; and Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that Taiwan and the United States have long enjoyed a cordial friendship based on shared common interests in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.  Taiwan is one of the United States' most important economic and security partners in Asia.

 

Hawaii officially established a sister-state relationship with Taiwan in 1993, but an economic relationship was already established before then.  Over the years, there have been few overseas locations with more cultural and economic activity than Taiwan, including business missions, educational and special promotional fairs, cultural exchanges, investor seminars, media productions, and gubernatorial visits.  Furthermore, Hawaii and Taiwan have rich and diverse cultural backgrounds, since Taiwan's indigenous people and the native Hawaiians are part of the Austronesian culture ring.

 

     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 International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 31, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 31, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and International Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair