STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1513-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.C.R. No. 129

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on International Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 129, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO SECURE AN AUTHORIZED DESTINATION STATUS AGREEMENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TO ALLOW VISITOR VISAS TO BE ISSUED TO CITIZENS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TO VISIT THE UNITED STATES; URGING PREMIER WEN JIABAO TO RESTORE HUMAN RIGHTS TO THE REPUBLIC'S CITIZENS AND CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL DRUG TRAFFICKING; AND REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO POSTPONE NEW IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES AT HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT UNTIL INCREASED CAPACITY IS IMPLEMENTED. (AMENDED TITLE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the President of the United States to secure an agreement to permit visitor visas to be issued to citizens of the People's Republic of China to visit the United States.

There were no testifiers for this measure, and your Committee finds that there is insufficient interest to pursue this concurrent resolution further.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this concurrent resolution by:

(1) Replacing its contents with substance that:

(A) Requests that the Governor establish a sister-state affiliation with the Province of Thua Thien-Hue in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, extending the privileges and honors to which Hawaii extends to its other sister-states and provinces;

(B) Requests that the Legislature be kept apprised of the Governor's efforts, so that it may be involvement in the process, to the extent practical;

and;

(2) Changing its title to read: "APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE-PROVINCE RELATIONS OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE OF HAWAII OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE PROVINCE OF THUA THIEN-HUE OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.

Your Committee finds that the historical relationship between the United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam provides a compelling reason to promote international friendship and mutual understanding that will serve the common interests of both countries to achieve lasting peace and prosperity. A state-province relationship between Hawaii and the Province of Thua Thien-Hue, whereby exchanges and cooperation could be established in the areas of business, trade, agriculture, environmentally and culturally sensitive tourism, sports, public health, education, economic development, and humanitarian assistance, would reinforce and cement this common bridge of understanding and mutual assistance between the ethnic Vietnamese of both the State and the Province of Thua Thien-Hue.

In addition, your Committee further finds that the Mayor of Hue City, Chairman Nguyen Van Me, met with Mayor Jeremy Harris in 1995 to initiate the process that culminated in the signing of the Sister-City Agreement between Honolulu and Hue City in 2000.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 129, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 129, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

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

 

____________________________

HELÉNE H. HALE, Chair