HR 160: Taiwan; relations with the United States and the State of Georgia; commend

House Resolution 160

By: Representatives Lupton of the 83rd, Gambill of the 15th, Jones of the 47th, Williamson of the 112th, and Kelley of the 16th

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing and commending Taiwan for its relations with the United States and the State of Georgia; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Taiwan and the United States of America are long-standing allies who both deeply cherish the common values of democracy, peace, and prosperity; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan continues to pursue integrated diplomacy and serve the best interests of the Indo-Pacific region by deepening ties with other like-minded nations, safeguarding regional security, and utilizing Taiwan's technological and economic success to promote partnerships on mutual benefits; and

WHEREAS, China repeatedly exerts economic coercion, stages military drills directed toward Taiwan, and distorts United Nations Resolution 2758 (XXVI) excluding Taiwan's participation from international organizations, which results in global challenges to rules-based international order and aggressive authoritarian expansionism; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan is the United States' eighth-largest trading partner, and the United States is Taiwan's second-largest trading partner, with an estimated $128 billion worth of trade; Taiwan was Georgia's 15th largest import and 17th largest export market in 2023; and

WHEREAS, the United States and Taiwan's first agreement entered into force under the "US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade," which includes commitments on anti-corruption, good regulatory practices, customs administration and trade facilitation, and small- and medium-sized enterprises; and

WHEREAS, the Taiwanese government donated $200,000 for Hurricane Helene relief to Georgia, and Taiwan's National Day was joyously celebrated at the Georgia Aquarium last October with more than 250 distinguished guests, including government officials, entrepreneurs, and leaders from the Taiwanese community; this event emphasized the celebration of the Taiwan Relations Act's 45th anniversary as well as symbolized the strong connection between Taiwan and Georgia.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body support constant talks under the "US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade" and a "US-Taiwan Avoid Double Taxation Agreement," as Taiwanese companies are looking for a diverse and free market investment in the United States, as well as encourage the State of Georgia to establish a trade office in Taiwan as 23 other states and Guam have done; organize a trade delegation to Taiwan to attract more investments; and encourage city governments to participate in the annual "Smart City" forum in Taiwan. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that with the celebration of Taiwan's democracy and the reaffirmation of the United States' commitment to Taiwan, the members of this body support the Taiwan Caucus as a means to explore more collaborative opportunities with Taiwan as well as support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations and economic cooperations such as WHO, UNFCCC, ICAO, INTERPOL, CPTPP, and IPEF. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body support the signing of an education cooperation MOU with Taiwan to facilitate more exchanges of scholars, teachers, and students as well as the use of the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language as a Chinese proficiency assessment tool for the Georgia State Seal of Biliteracy and encourage Georgians to take part in Taiwanese American Heritage Week in May and other activities and experiences that promote Taiwan's cultures, tourism, and delicacies such as Boba tea. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Governor Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia Congressional Delegation, and Mr. Elliot Wang, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta.