[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 108 (Thursday, August 1, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7895-S7898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-274. A House Concurrent Resolution adopted by the 
     Legislature of the State of Hawaii relative to legislation to 
     repeal the Rescission Act of 1946 and the Second Supplemental 
     Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act of 1964, and to restore 
     Filipino World War II Veterans' to full United States 
     Veterans' status and benefit; to the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs.

                     House Concurrent Resolution 34

       Whereas, on July 26, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt 
     called back to active duty Lieutenant General Douglas 
     MacArthur, who was then serving as military adviser to the 
     Commonwealth government in the Philippines. President 
     Roosevelt appointed General MacArthur to command the newly 
     formed United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE); 
     and
       Whereas, General MacArthur mobilized the entire Philippine 
     Commonwealth Army, consisting of approximately 212,000 
     soldiers, into the USAFFE and reinforced approximately 10,000 
     American soldiers, including the 10,000-strong Philippine 
     Scouts (who were the Filipino regulars in the American army) 
     and the 6,000-strong Philippine Constabulary, under the 
     command of American military forces; and
       Whereas, with the destruction of the United States fleet at 
     Pearl Harbor and the United States Air Force at Clark Field, 
     and with the withdrawal of United States naval forces to 
     Java, the USAFFE lost its naval and air support in the first 
     few days of the war in the Pacific; and
       Whereas, within days, Japanese troops landed in Aparri and 
     Vigan, in Legazpi and Davao, in Lingayen, Atimonan, and 
     Mauban, while their planes bombed military objectives and 
     government centers. Within a few weeks, the American and 
     Filipino forces defending Luzon were in full retreat to the 
     stronghold where General MacArthur proposed to make a last 
     stand--the peninsula of Bataan and the island fortress of 
     Corregidor; and
       Whereas, in the ensuing months, Japanese Imperial Forces in 
     the Philippines focused all their military might against the 
     USAFFE in Bataan and Corregidor; and
       Whereas, on February 20, 1942, President Manuel Quezon and 
     Vice President Sergio Osmena of the Philippine Commonwealth 
     left Corregidor for the United States to form a government in 
     exile. On March 11, 1942, General MacArthur left Corregidor 
     for Australia to take over the defense of the southern 
     Pacific area. It was upon his arrival in Melbourne that he 
     issued his famous pledge, ``I shall return''; and
       Whereas, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the East Indies 
     (Indonesia) fell before the fierce Japanese advance in the 
     week following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The soldiers in 
     the Philippines, under the command of Lieutenant General 
     Jonathan Wainright, fought on. Their valiant struggle, the 
     only Allied resistance in East Asia during the winter and 
     spring of 1942, slowed down the enemy and gave Australia more 
     time to strengthen its defenses; and
       Whereas, thousands of Japanese infantrymen, supported by 
     artillery barrages and tank fire power, pounded the Filipino-
     American lines. Overhead, Japan's air corps soared and bombed 
     the foxholes, hospitals, and ammunition dumps of Bataan. From 
     the sea the enemy warships poured lethal shells on the 
     defenders' positions. Bataan was doomed. The defenders, 
     weakened by hunger, disease, and fatigue, fought fiercely and 
     many died as heroes; and
       Whereas, Bataan fell on April 9, 1942. Corregidor's Voice 
     of Freedom radio station announced, ``Bataan has fallen, but 
     the spirit that made it stand--a beacon to all the liberty-
     loving peoples of the world--cannot fall''. As many as 36,000 
     Filipino and American soldiers were captured by the 
     victorious Japanese. Forced to set out on the infamous 
     ``Death March'' to San Fernando, tens of thousands died from 
     hunger, thirst, disease, and exhaustion. Survivors were 
     crammed into boxcars and shipped to imprisonment in Capas; 
     and
       Whereas, General Wainwright and the 12,000 Filipino and 
     American soldiers manning the rocky fortress of Corregidor 
     continued to fight, but after the fall of Bataan, the end was 
     in sight for them as well. On May 6, 1942, Major General 
     William Sharp was ordered to be stop future useless sacrifice 
     of human life in the Fortified Islands, and to surrender 
     all troops under his command in the Visayan Islands and 
     Mindanao. Corregidor fell almost five months to the day 
     after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Organized military 
     resistance to the invasion of the Philippines ended that 
     day; and
       Whereas, many Filipino officers and men refused to heed the 
     order to surrender. They fled to the hills with their arms 
     and, with the help of the civilian population, waged a 
     relentless guerrillas war against the invaders. The 
     guerrillas, almost without arms at the beginning, hungry, and 
     unclothed, gave battle to the enemy from every nook and 
     corner of the land. For three seemingly interminable years 
     and despite unbelievable hardships, they carried the torch of 
     freedom; and
       Whereas, it was against the backdrop of Bataan, Corregidor, 
     and other theaters of battle, where alien soldiers under the 
     United States flag fought bravely and fiercely, that the 
     United States Congress amended the naturalization provisions 
     of the Nationality Act of 1940; and
       Whereas, in 1942, Congress reestablished the policy it had 
     set forth during the first World War by providing for the 
     naturalization of aliens honorably serving in the armed 
     forces of the United States during the war. As part of the 
     second War Powers Act, Congress waived the requirement of 
     residence, literacy, and education for alien soldiers. The 
     law allowed any alien who was inducted or who enlisted into 
     the United States Army, Navy, or Air Force during World War 
     II to become a United States citizen; and
       Whereas, even while the war was raging, alien soldiers in 
     England, Iceland, and North Africa, who served in American 
     military forces, could be naturalized as United States 
     citizens. This naturalization was made possible because 
     beginning in January 1943, naturalization officers were 
     dispatched to foreign countries where they accepted 
     applications, performed naturalization ceremonies, and swore 
     into American citizenship thousands of alien soldiers; and
       Whereas, while the Philippines was under Japanese 
     occupation, approximately 7,000 Filipino soldiers were 
     naturalized outside the Philippines. The great majority of 
     Filipino soldiers in the country, however, were not even 
     aware of these liberal naturalization benefits. The United 
     States withdrew its naturalization officer from the 
     Philippines for nine months and then allowed the law to lapse 
     in 1946, so few Filipino veterans were able to exercise their 
     rights in a timely manner--rights that had been supposedly 
     earned on the battlefield for a lifetime; and
       Whereas, although the Immigration Act of 1990 rectified 
     this foreclosure of rights by permitting Filipino veterans of 
     World War II to apply for naturalization and to receive 
     benefits after May 1, 1991, it did not remedy the betrayal of 
     Filipino veterans orchestrated forty-five years earlier by a 
     cost-conscious country through the Rescission Act of 1946 and 
     the Second Supplemental Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act 
     (1946), which declared that the service performed by many 
     Filipino veterans was not ``active service'' and denied them 
     their veterans benefits after the fact; and
       Whereas, while Filipino-American veterans who served 
     honorably in an active-duty status under the command of the 
     USAFFE or within the Philippine Army, the Philippine Scouts, 
     or recognized guerrilla units, between September 1, 1939, and 
     December 31, 1946, braved the same dangers and were entitled 
     to apply for naturalization, only those persons who served in 
     the armed forces of the United States or joined the 
     Philippine Scouts before October 6, 1945, currently are 
     entitled to the full-range of veterans benefits; and
       Whereas, it should be the right of every Filipino-American 
     veteran of World War II, who served honorably in an active-
     duty status under the Philippine Scouts, or recognized 
     guerrilla units, to receive the full-range of veterans 
     benefits, including a non-service disability burial allowance 
     and pension, treatment for nonservice connected disabilities 
     at Veterans Hospitals in the United States, home loan 
     guarantees, burial in a national or state veterans cemetery 
     and headstones, contract national service life insurance and 
     educational assistance for spouses and surviving spouses; and
       Whereas, those who served in the armed forces of the United 
     States or Philippine Scouts that enlisted prior to October 6, 
     1945, are eligible for full veterans' benefits, but others 
     can only receive partial benefits. Those with limited 
     benefits include veterans of the Philippine Scouts 
     enlisted after October 6, 1945, Commonwealth Army of the 
     Philippines enlisted between July 26, 1941 and June 30, 
     1946, and recognized guerrillas with service between April 
     20, 1942 and June 30, 1946. For these groups, monetary 
     benefits are received in pesos in an amount equivalent to 
     only half of the dollar value, regardless of whether the 
     recipient resides in the Philippines or the United States; 
     and
       Whereas, Philippine veterans with military service with the 
     Special Philippine Scouts who enlisted between October 6, 
     1945 and June 30, 1947, under Public Law 190, 79th Congress 
     (``New Scouts'') are not entitled to full

[[Page S7896]]

     Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. They are only 
     entitled to service-connected disability benefits. This is 
     payable to a veteran if he is presently suffering from a 
     disability which the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     determined to be the result of a disease or injury incurred 
     in or aggravated during military service. The disability must 
     have been rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs as ten 
     per cent or more disabling to be compensable. (No 
     compensation may be paid for a service-connected disability 
     rated less than ten per cent disabling.) Medical treatment is 
     provided only for their service-connected disabilities; and
       Whereas, Philippine veterans with military service in the 
     Commonwealth Army of the Philippines and recognized guerrilla 
     units are entitled to service-connected disability benefits 
     only if they are presently suffering from a disability which 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs determines to be the 
     result of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated during 
     military service. The disability must have been rated by the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs as ten per cent or more to be 
     compensable. No compensation may be paid for a service-
     connected disability rated less than ten per cent disabling. 
     Benefits are payable in Philippine pesos. Medical treatment 
     is provided only for their service-connected disabilities; 
     and
       Whereas, there is no greater duty for a nation of free men 
     and women than the care of former soldiers and their 
     dependents, no greater honor for a former soldier than to be 
     laid to rest next to the soldier's comrades-in-arms, no 
     greater act of respect that a grateful country can show a 
     former soldier than to inter the soldier's remains on 
     hallowed ground, and no greater tribute that future 
     generations of freedom-loving Americans can visit upon a 
     former soldier than to remember those sacrifices may be the 
     soldier on the battlefield; and
       Whereas, in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, upon 
     the establishment of the Veterans Administration (now the 
     United States Department of Veterans Affairs), this country 
     has a sacred duty ``to care for him who shall have borne the 
     battle, and for his widow and his orphan''; and awarding the 
     full-range of veterans benefits to former soldiers is the 
     very least that a grateful nation can do for those persons 
     who placed themselves in harm's way to protect the United 
     States from its enemies; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-
     first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 
     2002, the Senate concurring, that Congress and the President 
     of the United States are requested to support legislation to 
     repeal the Rescission Act of 1946 and the Second Supplemental 
     Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act (1946), and to restore 
     Filipino World War II veterans' to full United States 
     veterans' status and benefits; and be it further
       Resolved that Hawaii's congressional delegation is again 
     requested to continue its support for legislation and other 
     action to ensure that Filipino-American veterans who served 
     honorably in an active-duty status under the command of the 
     USAFFE or within the Philippine Army, the Philippine Scouts, 
     or recognized guerrilla units, between September 1, 1939, and 
     December 31, 1946, are granted the full range of veterans 
     benefits that they were promised, that they are entitled to 
     and that is provided to other veterans recognized by the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs; and be it further
       Resolved that certified copies of this Concurrent 
     Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United 
     States, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives, the President pro tempore of the United 
     States Senate, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the members 
     of Hawaii's congressional delegation, and the Adjutant 
     General.
                                  ____

       POM-275. A House Concurrent Resolution adopted by the 
     Legislature of the State of Hawaii relative to the 
     establishment of state-province relations of friendship 
     between the State of Hawaii of the United States of America 
     and the Province of Pangasinan of the Republic of the 
     Philippines; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                  House Concurrent Resolution 28 S.D.1

       Whereas, the State of Hawaii is actively seeking to expand 
     its international ties and has an abiding interest in 
     developing goodwill, friendship, and economic relations 
     between the people of Hawaii and the people of Asian and 
     Pacific countries; and
       Whereas, as part of its effort to achieve this goal, Hawaii 
     has established a number of sister-state agreements with 
     provinces in the Pacific region; and
       Whereas, because of historical relationship between the 
     United States of America and the Republic of the Philippines, 
     there continues to exist valid reasons to promote 
     international friendship and understanding for the mutual 
     benefit of both countries to achieve lasting peace and 
     prosperity as it serves the common interests of both 
     countries; and
       Whereas, there are historical precedents exemplifying the 
     common desire to maintain a close cultural, commercial, and 
     financial bridge between ethnic Filipinos living in Hawaii 
     with their relatives, friends, and business counterparts in 
     the Philippines, such as the previously established sister-
     city relationship between the City and County of Honolulu and 
     the City of Cebu in the Provinces of Cebu and the City of 
     Laoag in Ilocos Norte; and
       Whereas, similar state-province relationships exist between 
     the State of Hawaii and the Provinces of Cebu and Ilocos Sur, 
     whereby cooperation and communication have served to 
     establish exchanges in the areas of business, trade, 
     agriculture and industry, tourism, sports, health care, 
     social welfare, and other fields of human endeavor; and
       Whereas, a similar sister state relationship would 
     reinforce and cement this common bridge for understanding and 
     mutual assistance between the ethnic Filipinos of both the 
     State of Hawaii and the Province of Pangasinan; and
       Whereas, there is an existing relationship between the 
     Province of Pangasinan and the State of Hawaii because 
     several notable citizens in Hawaii can trace their roots or 
     have immigrated from the Province of Pangasinan, and the town 
     of Urdaneta in Pangasinan now prominently features an ``Arch 
     of Aloha'' at the gateway to the town; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-
     First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 
     2002, the Senate concurring, 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 Province of Pangasinan; 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 establishing the relationship, and involved in 
     its formalization to the extent practicable; and be it 
     further
       Resolved that the Province of Pangasinan be afforded the 
     privileges and honors that Hawaii extends to its sister-
     states and provinces; and be it further
       Resolved that if by June 30, 2007, the sister-state 
     affiliation with the Province of Pangasinan has not reached a 
     sustainable basis by providing mutual economic benefits 
     through local community support, the sister-state affiliation 
     shall be withdrawn; and be it further
       Resolved that certified copies of this Concurrent 
     Resolution be transmitted to the 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, 
     the President of the Republic of the Philippines through its 
     Honolulu Consulate General, and the Governor and Provincial 
     Board of the Province of Pangasinan, Philippines.
                                  ____

       POM-276. A Senate Concurrent Resolution adopted by the 
     Legislature of the State of Hawaii relative to the 
     establishment of a center for the health, welfare, and 
     education of children, youth, and families for Asia and the 
     Pacific; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

                 Senate Concurrent Resolution 69 H.D. 1

       Whereas, the Millennium Young People's Congress held in 
     Hawaii in October 1999, demonstrated the value of a 
     collective global vision by and for the children of the world 
     and the need for a forum for international discussion of 
     issues facing all children and youth; and
       Whereas, children and youth are the key to world peace, 
     sustainability, and productivity in the next millennium; and
       Whereas, the health, welfare, and education of children and 
     families are part of the basic foundation and values shared 
     globally that should be provided for all children and youth; 
     and
       Whereas, the populations of countries in Asia and the 
     Pacific Rim are the largest and fastest growing segment of 
     the world's population with young people representing the 
     largest percentage of that population; and
       Whereas, Hawaii's location in the middle of the Pacific Rim 
     between Asia and the Americas, along with a diverse culture 
     and many shared languages, provides an excellent and 
     strategic location for meetings and exchanges as demonstrated 
     by the Millennium Young People's Congress, to discuss the 
     health, welfare, and rights of children as a basic foundation 
     for all children and youth, and to research pertinent issues 
     and alternatives concerning children and youth, and to 
     propose viable models for societal application; now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the Twenty-first Legislature of 
     the State of Hawaii, Regular session of 2002, the House of 
     Representatives concurring, that the United Nations is 
     respectfully requested to consider the establishment in 
     Hawaii of a Center for the Health, Welfare, and Education of 
     Children, Youth and Families for Asia and the Pacific; and be 
     it further
       Resolved that the President of the United States and the 
     United States Congress are urged to support the establishment 
     of the Center; and be it further
       Resolved that the House and Senate Committees on Health 
     convene an exploratory task force to develop such a proposal 
     for consideration by the United Nations; and be it further
       Resolved that certified copies of this Concurrent 
     Resolution be transmitted to the Secretary General of the 
     United Nations, President of the United States, President of 
     the United States Senate, Speaker of the United States House 
     of Representatives, President of the University of Hawaii, 
     President of the East West Center, President of the United 
     Nations Association in Hawaii, and members of Hawaii's 
     Congressional Delegation.

[[Page S7897]]

     
                                  ____
       POM-277. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the State of Hawaii relative to supporting the 
     acquisition of Kahuku Ranch for the expansion of the Hawaii 
     Volcanoes National Park and of Killae Village for expansion 
     of Pu Uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                          House Resolution 15

       Whereas, the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island 
     consists of 217,000 acres and is one of only two national 
     parks in this State; and
       Whereas, The Volcanoes National Park attracts about 
     1,500,000 visitors each year who enjoy the natural beauty of 
     the lava fields, native forests, and ocean cliffs; and
       Whereas, a large parcel of land lying to the south and west 
     of the Volcanoes National Park known as Kahuku Ranch 
     consisting of 117,000 acres has come up for sale; and
       Whereas, the Kahuku parcel contains outstanding geological, 
     biological, cultural, scenic, and recreational value, and is 
     the sole habitat for at least four threatened and endangered 
     bird species endemic to Hawaii; and
       Whereas, the National Park Service since 1945 has 
     recognized that the property contained nationally significant 
     resources and in fact, in its 1975 Master Plan, the National 
     Park Service identified the property as a ``potential 
     addition to improve the geological, ecological, and scenic 
     integrity of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park''; and
       Whereas, the 181-acre Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National 
     Historical Park was established in 1961 to save a sacred 
     place of refuge that for centuries offered sanctuary to any 
     who reached its walls; and
       Whereas, adjacent to Pu`uhonua O Honaunau are the remains 
     of Ki`ilae, an ancient Hawaiian settlement dating back to the 
     late 12th or early 13th centuries, and which remained active 
     until about 1930, making it one of the last traditional 
     Hawaiian villages to be abandoned; and
       Whereas, significant portions of this ancient Hawaiian 
     village remain outside of national park boundaries; and
       Whereas, including these lands within the boundaries of 
     Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park has been a goal 
     of park management for more than three decades; and
       Whereas, the park's 1972 Master Plan identified Ki`ilae 
     Village as a proposed boundary extension and in 1992, a 
     Boundary Expansion Study completed for the park called for 
     adding the ``balance of Ki`ilae Village''; and
       Whereas, within the Ki`ilae lands the National Park Service 
     is seeking to acquire, more than 800 archeological sites, 
     structures, and features have been identified, including at 
     least twenty-five caves and ten heaiu, more than twenty 
     platforms, twenty-six enclosures, over forty burial features, 
     residential compounds, a holua slide, canoe landing sites, a 
     water well, numerous walls, and a wide range of agricultural 
     features; and
       Whereas, in June 2001, Senator Inouye and Senator Akaka 
     introduced a bill to authorize the addition of the Ki`ilae 
     Village lands to Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical 
     Park and in October 2001, this bill passed the United States 
     Senate and it is anticipated that the authorization bill will 
     pass the House of Representatives as well; and
       Whereas, these acquisitions offer an opportunity rarely 
     imagined because they would give the National Park Service an 
     excellent chance to expand and protect native plants and 
     archaeological sites from destruction; and
       Whereas, these opportunities can benefit current and future 
     generations of residents and tourists, because expansion of 
     Volcanoes National Park and Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National 
     Historical Park will preserve more open space, add to the 
     natural environment, protect affected native species, and 
     preserve cultural and historical sites; and
       Whereas, in January 2001, the National Park Service held a 
     series of public meetings to receive comments from the public 
     regarding possible purchase of Kahuku Ranch and Ki`ilae 
     Village, and the nearly 400 people in attendance at the 
     meetings expressed overwhelming support and endorsement; 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 this body supports the acquisition by the United 
     States National Park Service of Kahuku Ranch for expansion of 
     the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and of Ki`ilae Village for 
     expansion of Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park; 
     and be it further
       Resolved that certified copies of this Resolution be 
     transmitted to the Director of the National Park Service, the 
     President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and to the members of 
     Hawaii's congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-278. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the State of Hawaii relative to the 
     establishment of a sister-state relationship between the 
     State of Hawaii and the Municipality of Tianjin in the 
     People's Republic of China; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                          House Resolution 117

       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 percent versus 16.6 percent for 
     collective ownership, and 47.7 percent for other forms, 
     including private ownership. In the retail sector, the 
     respective proportions were 23.7 percent, 17.3 percent, and 
     59 percent, 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 
     biopharmacy, 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

[[Page S7898]]

     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 coangressional 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.

                          ____________________