H.R. No. 23
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The longstanding bonds of friendship between the
United States and Taiwan, embodied in the Taiwan Relations Act of
1979, continue to yield important economic, strategic, and cultural
benefits; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan ranks as our nation's 11th largest trading
partner, and in 2017, bilateral trade in goods and services reached
$68.2 billion; a particularly important market for farmers, Taiwan
imports more U.S. agricultural products on a per capita basis than
any other nation, and its biennial agricultural procurement
missions result in multibillion-dollar supply deals; and
WHEREAS, Since 1988, Texas and Taiwan have maintained a
sister-state relationship, and they enjoy particularly close
economic ties, enhanced in recent years by the tireless efforts of
Peter Chen as the director general of the Taipei Economic and
Cultural Office in Houston; Taiwan is one of our top 10 foreign
markets, and in 2017, it imported nearly $4.7 billion in
commodities from Texas, including computers and electronics,
industrial machinery equipment, chemicals, and foodstuffs; in
turn, Texas imported over $2.8 billion in Taiwanese goods,
primarily computers, electronics, metal products, transportation
equipment, and industrial machinery; and
WHEREAS, Taiwanese firms have invested more than $10 billion
in a wide range of Texas businesses, from petrochemicals and
automotive parts to electronics, banking, and hospitality; the
current president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, has traveled to Houston
twice since her election in 2016, and during her most recent visit,
in August 2018, Taiwan's CPC Corporation signed a $25 billion,
25-year purchase agreement for liquefied natural gas with
Houston-headquartered Cheniere and Formosa Plastics confirmed in
detail its $12.7 billion accumulated investment at Point Comfort;
and
WHEREAS, In June 2015, Taiwan's EVA Air launched a direct
Taipei-Houston route; travel between Taiwan and the United States
has increased by more than 50 percent since 2012, when Taiwan
commenced participation in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program; it joined
the U.S. Global Entry program five years later, further enhancing
commercial, investment, and tourism opportunities; moreover, in
2018, President Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act, which
encourages government officials to meet with their counterparts in
each other's countries; and
WHEREAS, Taiwan is committed to helping address global
challenges, from humanitarian crises to nontraditional security
threats; it has coordinated with the United States to combat Ebola
and other infectious diseases, and it has provided disaster relief
in many locations around the world; moreover, it has taken a
prominent role in environmental protection, and the U.S.-Taiwan
International Environmental Partnership was launched in 2014 to
collaborate in the training of experts in the field from Asia,
Africa, and Latin America; Taiwanese officials and civil society
groups partner with the United States on a range of issues through
the American Institute in Taiwan, and the AIT joined with the
U.S.-based Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office to
establish the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, which
advances Taiwanese leadership in such arenas as democratization,
human rights, women's empowerment, and public health; and
WHEREAS, Texas and the United States have benefited
immeasurably through decades of unwavering friendship with Taiwan,
and the wider world is sure to reap tremendous rewards as Taiwan
works to enhance its presence in the international community; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby express its support for the strengthening of our
partnership with Taiwan and for the expansion of Taiwan's role on
the global stage; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives hereby:
(a) express support for a bilateral trade agreement between
the United States and Taiwan;
(b) express support for Taiwan's meaningful participation
in the International Criminal Police Organization, the
International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the World Health
Assembly;
(c) commend the inclusion of Taiwan in the U.S. Global Entry
and Visa Waiver Program;
(d) honor Peter Chen for his outstanding endeavors as
director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in
Houston; and
(e) celebrate the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the
Taiwan Relations Act and the 31st anniversary of the sister-state
relationship between the State of Texas and Taiwan; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston as
an expression of the sentiment of the Texas House of
Representatives.
Miller
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 23 was adopted by the House on April
1, 2019, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House