1 HJR247
2 213453-3
3 By Representative McCutcheon
4 RFD: Rules
5 First Read: 27-APR-21
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 HJR247
1
2 ENROLLED, House Joint Resolution,
3 COMMENDING TAIWAN FOR ITS RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED
4 STATES AND THE STATE OF ALABAMA.
5
6 WHEREAS, Taiwan and the United States are
7 longstanding allies who both deeply cherish the common values
8 of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law; and
9 WHEREAS, the United States Congress passed the
10 Taiwan Relations Act in 1979, the Taiwan Travel Act in 2018,
11 and the TAIPEI Act in 2019; and, in 2020, the United States
12 and Taiwan have enjoyed a high point in bilateral relations,
13 including through the highest-ranking official visits in 40
14 years and through the establishment of the U.S.-Taiwan
15 Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue and the U.S.-Taiwan
16 Educational Initiative, expanding economic exchanges and
17 promoting academic freedom in English and Mandarin language
18 instruction; and
19 WHEREAS, Taiwan is a beacon of democracy and freedom
20 in the Asia-Pacific, despite continuous threats from its
21 neighbor, China, which has encroached on Taiwan's security by
22 flying in Taiwan's air defense identification zone and across
23 the median line of the Taiwan Strait, as well as degraded the
24 freedom of Hong Kong through the 2020 Hong Kong National
25 Security Law; therefore, Taiwan's democracy needs to be
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1 supported by like-minded allies, such as this representative
2 body; and
3 WHEREAS, in 2020, Taiwan has achieved immense
4 success combatting the COVID-19 pandemic and contributed
5 extensive resources to helping the international community,
6 including through the global donation of tens of millions of
7 surgical and N95 masks, hundreds of thousands of isolation
8 gowns, and tens of thousands of forehead thermometers; and
9 including the donation of 90,000 surgical and 20,000 N95 masks
10 to the State of Alabama; and
11 WHEREAS, beginning in January 2021, Taiwan will
12 significantly ease import restrictions on United States pork
13 and beef products, significantly growing the State of Alabama
14 and the U.S.'s agricultural exports to Taiwan and paving the
15 way for deeper economic cooperation; and
16 WHEREAS, Taiwan is the United States' ninth-largest
17 trading partner; and the United States is Taiwan's
18 second-largest trading partner. Taiwan supports an estimated
19 330,000 jobs in the United States; and Taiwan is the 23rd
20 export market of Alabama, Alabama's 14th largest import
21 country, investing $327 million in Alabama, and supporting an
22 estimated 5,401 jobs in the State of Alabama; and
23 WHEREAS, Alabama welcomes all opportunities for an
24 even closer economic partnership, such as the signing of a
25 U.S.-Taiwan Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and the
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1 establishment of its trade office in Taiwan, to enhance the
2 special sister-state relations since 1984 with Taiwan, to
3 encourage further business, educational, cultural, and people
4 to people exchanges between the citizens of both nations, and
5 to recover better together in the post-pandemic economic
6 recovery efforts; now therefore,
7 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH
8 HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That the members of this body
9 commend and support Taiwan's democracy, freedom, and the
10 nation's meaningful participation in international
11 organizations and cooperation such as the World Health
12 Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization,
13 INTERPOL, the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, and
14 the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific
15 Partnership (CPTPP); support the signing of a U.S.-Taiwan
16 bilateral trade agreement and an educational memorandum of
17 understanding with Alabama promoting education through
18 Mandarin and English study exchanges; and support a reciprocal
19 driver license agreement between Taiwan and Alabama.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House
21 of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an
22 appropriate copy of this resolution to the Governor, Secretary
23 of State, and Mr. Elliot Yi-lung Wang, Director-General of the
24 Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta.
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1
2
3
4 Speaker of the House of Representatives
5
6 President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
7 House of Representatives
8 I hereby certify that the within Act originated in
9 and was adopted by the House 06-MAY-21.
10
11 Jeff Woodard
12 Clerk
13
14
15
16 Senate 17-MAY-21 Adopted
17
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