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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Consul General Joseph Chen's visit to the State |
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Capitol provides a welcome opportunity to recognize his outstanding |
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service as director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in |
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Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, Since assuming his present post in March 2008, Mr. |
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Chen has played a vital role in strengthening ties between Texas and |
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Taiwan, as well as relations between Taiwan and a number of other |
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states in the South, Southwest, and Midwest; and |
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WHEREAS, He oversees an office that carries out a number of |
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different missions in addition to consular services; under Mr. |
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Chen's guidance, TECO-Houston provides the public with a wide array |
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of information about Taiwan, including critical information |
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related to trade and investment opportunities; the office also |
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promotes scientific and technological cooperation, provides |
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services to science and technology institutes and to scientists and |
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scholars, arranges cultural and education exchanges, and hosts and |
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organizes seminars, exhibits, speeches, and other events, along |
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with providing educational and cultural services to the Chinese and |
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Taiwanese communities; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Chen brings broad international experience to |
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his present duties; he previously served as a desk officer in the |
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Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign |
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Affairs; as secretary of the embassy of the Republic of China in |
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Panama; as secretary of the Taipei Economic and Cultural |
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Representative Office (TECRO) in New Zealand; as deputy director of |
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the Administrative Division, TECRO-Washington, D.C.; as deputy |
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representative of TECRO-India; and as deputy director general of |
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the Department of General Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and |
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WHEREAS, The relationship that Texas enjoys with Taiwan is an |
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especially important one; in 2005, Texas shipped more than $3.4 |
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billion in exports to Taiwan, which ranked that year as the state's |
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fifth largest overseas market; moreover, Taiwanese firms have |
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invested billions of U.S. dollars in Texas businesses; and |
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WHEREAS, Another reflection of the ties binding the two lands |
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are the many sisterhood relations that have been established; the |
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State of Texas became a sister state of Taiwan Province in 1988, and |
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10 Texas cities and counties currently have sister relationships |
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with cities in Taiwan; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas is indeed fortunate to have an official of Mr. |
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Chen's dedication and expertise at the head of TECO-Houston, and it |
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is hoped that the links between this state and Taiwan will continue |
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to multiply and flourish in the years ahead; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Consul General Joseph Chen for his |
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immeasurable contributions to the deepening of bonds between Texas |
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and Taiwan and extend to him sincere best wishes for his tenure with |
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the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Chen as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |
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Button |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 700 was adopted by the House on March |
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4, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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