RESOLUTION CHAPTER 93

[Filed with Secretary of State September 2, 1999]

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 26--Relative to a friendship state relationship with Inner Mongolia.
WHEREAS, We live in an interconnected world with global economic, environmental, and immigration concerns, making international cooperation, education, and cultural understanding increasingly important; and

WHEREAS, The Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of China has expressed interest in the creation of a friendship state relationship with the State of California; and

WHEREAS, Inner Mongolia and the State of California share many economic, agricultural, and energy resource similarities, such as an important tourism industry, extensive agriculture, and large wind farm developments for rural electrification; and

WHEREAS, The industries of Inner Mongolia and the State of California are sufficiently different to warrant trade; and

WHEREAS, Inner Mongolia contains large deposits of metals such as iron, niobium, and other precious rare earth metals, and is one of China's most important steel and coal producers; and

WHEREAS, Inner Mongolia's railways link Beijing, the Chinese capital, with the northeast and key cities like Lanzhou, and form one section of the second trunk line of northern China's mainland from east to west; and

WHEREAS, The Inner Mongolia University is committed to becoming more open to the outside world, and is working to better serve economic development and educational reform; and

WHEREAS, Inner Mongolia is currently integrating renewable sources of energy in the form of wind and photovoltaic systems, and shares technological similarities with wind farm companies in the State of California; and

WHEREAS, Both California and Inner Mongolia have ethnically diverse populations and are concerned with peaceful coexistence of the many cultures within their borders; and

WHEREAS, A friendship state relationship would promote mutual trade and commerce, and increase the potential for educational, environmental, and cultural relations between Inner Mongolia and the State of California; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California, on behalf of the people of California, extends to the people of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of China an invitation to join with California in a friendship state relationship in order to encourage and facilitate mutually beneficial economic, educational, environmental, and cultural exchanges and to lead to a more indelible and lasting relationship between Californians and the citizens of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of China; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the Consul General of China, to the Government of Inner Mongolia, to the Governor of California, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.