Bill Text: TX HR1045 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled

Texas House Resolution 1045 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Expressing support for the expansion of Taiwan's role in the international community.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Passed) 2017-05-08 - Reported enrolled [HR1045 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-HR1045-Enrolled.html



	H.R. No. 1045



	R E S O L U T I O N

	WHEREAS, For decades, the United States and Taiwan have
	fostered an important relationship that has been of mutual
	economic, cultural, and strategic benefit; and
	WHEREAS, The 22nd-largest economy in the world, Taiwan is the
	10th-largest trading partner of the United States, and in 2016,
	bilateral trade in goods and services between the two nations
	reached $65.3 billion; and
	WHEREAS, Taiwan is also the largest per capita importer of
	U.S. farm products in the world and continues to pursue biennial
	agricultural procurement missions to the United States to sign
	multibillion-dollar supply deals, and each year since 2013, it has
	dispatched a delegation to the SelectUSA Investment Summit; and
	WHEREAS, In recent years, travel from Taiwan to the United
	States has increased substantially as a result of significant
	efforts from both nations to promote tourism and encourage
	exchanges; those efforts include Taiwan joining the U.S. Visa
	Waiver Program in 2012, EVA Air launching its direct
	Taipei-to-Houston route in 2015, and the United States and Taiwan
	signing a joint statement on an international expedited traveler
	initiative in 2016; in addition, Taiwan serves as an important hub
	to other Asian destinations, and its national Civil Aeronautics
	Administration annually provides services for over 1.5 million
	controlled flights that carry a total of 58 million passengers; and
	WHEREAS, Texas has specifically benefited from economic and
	cultural ties to Taiwan that are nurtured by a vibrant Sister State
	relationship; state exports to Taiwan were valued at more than $4.2
	billion in 2016, making Taiwan the fifth-largest Asian export
	market for Texas, and some 38,000 jobs in the Lone Star State are
	supported by companies affiliated with Taiwan; and
	WHEREAS, American exports to Taiwan, combined with Taiwan's
	investment in the United States, support more than 330,000
	good-paying jobs in our country; both nations could realize further
	economic gains by establishing a free trade agreement and enhancing
	the platforms of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and
	the Digital Economy Forum; and
	WHEREAS, Since its ratification, the Taiwan Relations Act of
	1979 has been the cornerstone of relations between the United
	States and Taiwan; both countries have further affirmed their
	essential economic and security partnership by working together to
	address global challenges in such areas as international
	humanitarian assistance, public health, and technology under the
	Global Cooperation and Training Framework, which was established in
	June 2015; and
	WHEREAS, Taiwan is the only full-fledged democracy in the
	Chinese-speaking world; the results of its 2016 presidential
	election marked both the country's third peaceful transition of
	power since 1996 and first transition of the national legislative
	majority since 1949, proving that Taiwan would be a worthy member of
	the Community of Democracies; and
	WHEREAS, As nontraditional security threats increase in the
	21st century, myriad people would benefit from Taiwan's inclusion
	and participation in the International Criminal Police
	Organization (INTERPOL), the International Civil Aviation
	Organization (ICAO), the United Nations Framework Convention on
	Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the World Health Assembly (WHA); and
	WHEREAS, Greater participation by Taiwan in international
	agreements and organizations will contribute immeasurably to its
	prosperity, thereby heightening the synergies created through the
	close and dynamic commercial partnership between Taiwan and the
	United States; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
	Legislature hereby express its support for the expansion of
	Taiwan's role in the international community; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives hereby:
	(1) encourage Taiwan to negotiate a free trade
	agreement with the United States;
	(2) commend the signing of a joint statement on an
	international expedited traveler initiative between the United
	States and Taiwan; and
	(3) express support for Taiwan's meaningful
	participation in INTERPOL, ICAO, UNFCCC, and WHA; and, be it
	further
	RESOLVED, That the 29th anniversary of the Sister State
	relationship between Texas and Taiwan be commemorated, and that
	Louis M. Huang, director general of the Taipei Economic and
	Cultural Office in Houston, be commended for his contributions
	toward enhancing cooperation between the Lone Star State and
	Taiwan; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy 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.

	Vo

	______________________________
	Speaker of the House

	I certify that H.R. No. 1045 was adopted by the House on May
	4, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, 2 present, not
	voting.

	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House