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Click here for Petition Letter Urging Your
Member of Congress to Co-sponsor HCR 346.
Click here for the text of
the resolutions.
The Hon.
Rob Portman
February 16, 2006
Att. Ms.
Lise Sacket
600 17th
Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20508
United
States of America
Dear
Trade Representative Portman:
I write
to you today as an old friend of yours and as the current
president of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA)
to applaud the remarks you made on February 15 during a press
conference where you released the results of a USTR review of
U.S.-China trade relations, and to ask for your help with an
issue of great concern to Taiwanese Americans and the people of
Taiwan.
During
the press conference, you stated that the lack of equity in the
US-China trade relationship is “due in part to China's failure
to honor certain commitments, including its failure to enforce
intellectual property rights, its protection and support for
certain domestic industries, and its refusal to fulfill certain
market opening commitments.”
We
appreciate your courage to state the truth as the leader of a
super power and appreciate your willingness to balance
justifiably between US business interests and US strategic
interests.
I would
like to take this opportunity to also ask for your help.
On
February 15, Rep. Robert Andrews introduced HCR342 concluding
that it is the sense of the Congress that— (1) the President
should make the conclusion of a free trade agreement between the
United States and Taiwan one of the top priorities of the United
States when initiating bilateral free trade agreements with
foreign countries; and (2) the President should foster the
expansion of trade opportunities with Taiwan by instructing the
United States Trade Representative to expedite negotiations on a
free trade agreement between the United States and Taiwan. (See:
enclosure for full bill text.)
As you
know, Taiwan is a gateway to Asia and America’s 8th largest
trading partner, creating some US$64 billion in two-way trade
per year. Studies by the US International Trade Commission show
that US exports to Taiwan would grow at a rate of approximately
16% per year if and when an FTA is concluded.
Taiwan is
also a major player in the IT and computer sector (some 80% of
all laptops in the world are manufactured in Taiwan), as well as
an upcoming player in areas such as biotechnology and
nanotechnology. Partnering with Taiwan companies would give a
competitive edge to US R&D in those areas.
Taiwanese
Americans and the people of Taiwan would be very grateful if you
would support this effort for the broader US national interest
such as security and prosperity in the Asian Pacific region.
Not only
would the U.S. and Taiwan benefit from the conclusion of a
bilateral Free Trade Agreement, your support for such an
agreement would give enormous encouragement to the 23 million
people of Taiwan whose democracy is fragile and whose freedom is
threatened continuously.
I look
forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely
yours,
C.T. Lee
President
Formosan
Association for Public Affairs |
