By: Jetton (Senate Sponsor - Kolkhorst) H.C.R. No. 86

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2023; May 2, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; May 10, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 10, 2023, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE VOTE

YeaNayAbsentPNV

HughesX

PaxtonX

BettencourtX

BirdwellX

LaMantiaX

MenéndezX

MiddletonX

ParkerX

PerryX

SchwertnerX

ZaffiriniX

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

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, social, strategic, and cultural benefits; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan ranks as the United States' ninth largest trading partner, and bilateral trade reached $114 billion in 2021; that same year, Taiwan was the sixth largest export market for U.S. agricultural products; the robust U.S.-Taiwan trade and investment partnership provides a solid foundation for a mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement (BTA) to spur job creation, further expand the global market, and secure international supply chains; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan is committed to helping address global challenges, from humanitarian crises to nontraditional security threats; moreover, the country has emerged as an important partner in pandemic prevention, bolstering unprecedented international support for Taiwan's bid to participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA); and

WHEREAS, Taiwanese officials and civil society groups partner with the United States on a range of issues to promote our common values of freedom, democracy, and human rights; these partnerships build on the cooperative tradition of prior initiatives, such as the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), which advances Taiwanese leadership in such arenas as democratization, human rights, women's empowerment, and public health; and

WHEREAS, Since 1988, Texas and Taiwan have maintained a sister-state relationship, and they enjoy particularly close economic ties; Taiwan is Texas' 10th largest overseas market, and Texas exported over $7.69 billion in goods and services to Taiwan in 2020; the establishment of a Texas Trade and Investment Office in Taiwan could enhance the participation of small- and medium-sized enterprises in trade and investment and advance sister-state ties between Texas and Taiwan; 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 88th Legislature of the State of Texas 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 and Senate 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 Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other organizations;

(c) express support for a Texas Trade and Investment Office in Taiwan; and

(d) celebrate the 44th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act and the 35th anniversary of the sister-state relationship between the State of Texas and Taiwan; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That official copies 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 and Senate. Expressing support for the strengthening of our partnership with Taiwan and for the expansion of Taiwan's role on the global stage.

* * * * *