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