ENROLLED
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 46
BY REPRESENTATIVE ADAMS
A RESOLUTION
To commend the Republic of China, known as Taiwan, for positive economic relations with
Louisiana, to encourage closer economic relations between Taiwan and the United
States, to support the mutual recognition of noncommercial driver's licenses between
Taiwan and Louisiana, to congratulate president-elect Ing-Wen Tsai, and to
commend Mr. Louis M. Huang.
WHEREAS, the United States and Taiwan engage in robust bilateral trade; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan is the ninth largest United States trading partner, the largest per
capita importer of United States agricultural products, and the sixth largest trading partner
of Louisiana in Asia; and
WHEREAS, Formosa Petrochemical Corp. is now planning an estimated nine billion
four hundred million dollar industrial complex in St. James Parish where the company would
build two project phases producing ethylene and a host of downstream chemical products,
through which Formosa would create one thousand two hundred new direct jobs with an
average annual salary of eighty-four thousand five hundred dollars plus benefits and result
in eight thousand new indirect jobs for a total of nine thousand two hundred new jobs in
Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, with the approval of the United States Department of Energy, Taiwan
will begin a long-term plan to import shale gas from Louisiana, which is to begin in 2018
and is expected to be a multibillion dollar business opportunity; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan remains a beacon of democracy and the only full-fledged
democracy in the Chinese-speaking world; and
WHEREAS, a general election in Taiwan was held on January 16, 2016, in which
Dr. Ing-Wen Tsai, the chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party, was elected as the
first female President; and
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WHEREAS, President-elect Tsai, who is an expert on trade and who took part in the
Taiwan-U.S. bilateral trade negotiations, was a major negotiator for Taiwan's accession to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002; and
WHEREAS, President-elect Tsai is familiar with and concerned about mutual
interests between Taiwan and the United States; and
WHEREAS, the United States and the state of Louisiana will benefit from closer
economic relationships with Taiwan by negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) and a
bilateral investment agreement (BIA) and from U.S. support for Taiwan's membership in the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP); and
WHEREAS, the Business Roundtable's study shows that America's FTA partners
purchased ten and four-tenths times more goods per capita from Louisiana than non-FTA
countries did; and
WHEREAS, international trade supports more than five hundred thousand Louisiana
jobs; and
WHEREAS, trade and investment liberalization policies save the average Louisiana
family of four more than ten thousand dollars per year; and
WHEREAS, allowing the exchange of valid, noncommercial driver's licenses
between Taiwan and Louisiana is part of efforts to promote a business-friendly environment
in order to advance mutual trade and investment; and
WHEREAS, given the important role Taiwan plays in global aviation security,
inclusion of Taiwan as a participant in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
would help develop a global strategy to address aviation security threats; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan has passed a landmark Greenhouse Gas Reduction and
Management Act to cut carbon emissions to fifty percent of 2005 levels by 2050 and
announced its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to commit itself to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by fifty percent from the current level by 2030, which
shows that accommodating Taiwan's participation in the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) would help continue global efforts against
harmful climate change.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby do the following:
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(1)Present heartfelt congratulations to president-elect Ing-Wen Tsai for her
election and admire the Taiwanese people for showing their commitment to democracy.
(2)Encourage closer economic relationships between Taiwan and the United
States by encouraging negotiations of a FTA and a BIA between Taiwan and the United
States and by supporting Taiwan's membership in the TPP.
(3)Encourage and support the mutual recognition of noncommercial driver's
licenses between Taiwan and Louisiana.
(4)Support Taiwan's meaningful participation in the ICAO and UNFCCC.
(5)Celebrate the thirty-first anniversary of the sister-state relationship between
Louisiana and Taiwan and the thirty-sixth anniversary of the sister-city relationship between
Taichung City and Baton Rouge.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Legislature
of Louisiana does hereby commend Mr. Louis M. Huang, Director General of the Taipei
Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, for efforts and contributions toward enhancing
cooperation between Taiwan and Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to Mr. Louis M. Huang.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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