House Joint Resolution No. 50
Resolution Act No. 21-3
RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE TWENTY -SECOND
ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONNECTICUT -TAIWAN SISTER-STATE
RELATIONSHIP.
Resolved by this Assembly:
WHEREAS, the state of Connecticut and the Republic of China
(Taiwan) have enjoyed a long history of friendship and have maintained
a fruitful sister-state relationship encompassing cultural, educational
and economic exchanges since 1999; and
WHEREAS, the state of Connecticut exported 194 million dollars'
worth of products to Taiwan in 2019, making Taiwan one of the major
foreign markets for Connecticut, and strengthening a robust bilateral
trade relationship as well as fostering a continued collaboration between
their respective industries; and
WHEREAS, as a full-fledged democracy and robust free-market
economy, Taiwan shares with the United States the principles and
values that provide a strong foundation for mutually beneficial
relations; and
WHEREAS, the United States Congress passed the landmark Taiwan
Relations Act (TRA) in 1979 to sustain a close bilateral relationship as
well as to advance mutual security and commercial interests between
the United States and Taiwan, and the TRA has served as the House Joint Resolution No. 50
Resolution Act No. 21-3 2 of 3
cornerstone of United States-Taiwan relations and has helped to
preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait; and
WHEREAS, on August 10, 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the
United States and Taiwan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on
health cooperation to strengthen cooperation on global health security,
control of infectious diseases, and the development of drugs and
vaccines, intended to battle COVID-19 and to prevent future
international health crises through further collaborations; and
WHEREAS, the Memorandums of Understanding recently signed by
the United States and Taiwan on scientific and technological
cooperation and international education cooperation support broader
exchanges between Taiwan and the state of Connecticut on innovation
and cooperation on critical supply chains and education; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan has signed mutual driver's license recognition
agreements with 34 states of the United States since 2013, and more than
16,000 Taiwanese and American citizens have taken advantage of the
aforementioned agreements, and were Taiwan and the state of
Connecticut to enter into a driver's license reciprocity agreement with
each other, such an agreement would help increase the mobility of
international students, businessmen, and academics from both sides;
and
WHEREAS, Taiwan's inclusion in the United States Visa Waiver
Program and Global Entry, and the reciprocal travel facilitation enjoyed
by United States citizens when visiting Taiwan, allows Taiwan and the
United States, including the sister-state of Connecticut, to develop closer
relations and to witness rapid growth in all areas of bilateral
development; and
WHEREAS, the United States has assisted Taiwan in participating in
the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation House Joint Resolution No. 50
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Organization (ICAO) and the International Criminal Police
Organization (INTERPOL) and will continue supporting Taiwan's
participation in other international organizations; and
WHEREAS, the United States and Taiwan share a long-term and
close economic relationship, including 82.5 billion dollars in bilateral
trade in 2020, making Taiwan the ninth largest trading partner of the
United States; and
WHEREAS, in order to strengthen the bilateral trade relations with
the United States, the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has
expressed its wish to sign a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and an
Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (ADTA) with the United
States.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Connecticut General
Assembly pause in its deliberations to recognize the twenty-second
anniversary of the Connecticut-Taiwan Sister-State Relationship, and
reiterate its support of a closer economic and trade partnership between
the United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the clerks of the Senate and House
of Representatives cause a copy of this resolution to be sent to President
Tsai Ing-wen of the Republic of China (Taiwan) through the Taipei
Economic and Cultural Office in New York.