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7 Cosponsors:
8 Carl R. Albrecht
9 Kyle R. Andersen
10 Melissa G. Ballard
11 Walt Brooks
12 Steve R. Christiansen
13 Susan Duckworth
14 Joel Ferry
15 Francis D. Gibson
16 Suzanne Harrison
Dan N. Johnson
Marsha Judkins
Karen Kwan
Lee B. Perry
Val L. Peterson
Candice B. Pierucci
Marie H. Poulson
Angela Romero
Douglas V. Sagers
Mike Schultz
Rex P. Shipp
Robert M. Spendlove
Steve Waldrip
Christine F. Watkins
Elizabeth Weight
Brad R. Wilson
Mike Winder
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18 LONG TITLE
19 General Description:
20 This resolution reaffirms the importance of the relationship between the state of Utah
21 and Taiwan.
22 Highlighted Provisions:
23 This resolution:
24 ▸ describes the close relationship Utah and Taiwan have had throughout the years;
25 ▸ reaffirms the importance of the relationship between the state of Utah and Taiwan
26 and the United States and Taiwan; and
27 ▸ affirms that Utah continues to support the relationship between the United States
28 and Taiwan.
29 Special Clauses:
30 None
31
32 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
33 WHEREAS, the state of Utah is proud of the relationship that it has enjoyed with
34 Taiwan over many years, which is characterized by strong bilateral religious, trade,
35 educational, and cultural exchanges, scientific and technological development, and tourism;
36 WHEREAS, the United States and Taiwan share an important relationship supported by
37 common values, including freedom, democracy, rule of law, and a free market economy;
38 WHEREAS, since 1956, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has dispatched
39 more than 43,000 missionaries, including former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., to Taiwan
40 as a friendly exchange between our peoples;
41 WHEREAS, there are approximately 2,000 immigrants from Taiwan currently living
42 and working in Utah and around 200 students from Taiwan studying at universities throughout
43 the state;
44 WHEREAS, Utah and Taiwan maintain strong ties, including the establishment of a
45 sister-state relationship between Utah and Taiwan in 1980, a sister-county relationship between
46 Salt Lake County and Nantou County in 2008, and sister-city relationships between Salt Lake
47 City and Keelung in 1979, between Murray City and Chiayi City in 1988, and between West
48 Valley City and Nantou City in 2000;
49 WHEREAS, Governor Gary R. Herbert led a trade delegation to Taiwan in 2018 and
50 met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to further strengthen economic and other ties between
51 Utah and Taiwan;
52 WHEREAS, Taiwan is Utah's sixth-largest trading partner and sixth-largest export
53 destination with Utah exporting more than $712 million in goods to Taiwan annually, including
54 computers, electronic products, food, chemicals, and machinery;
55 WHEREAS, the United States ranks as Taiwan's second-largest trading partner and
56 Taiwan ranks as the United States' tenth-largest trading partner, with the United States and
57 Taiwan trading approximately $81 billion of goods and services in 2019;
58 WHEREAS, the Asia-Pacific region is the largest market in the world for American
59 exports, many of Utah's exports go to markets in the Asia-Pacific region and, as of 2019,
60 Taiwan is Utah's third-largest export market in Asia;
61 WHEREAS, for decades Taiwan has helped commemorate the hard work and sacrifices
62 of Chinese railroad workers who helped build the first transcontinental railroad, completed at
63 Promontory Summit Utah, on May 10, 1869;
64 WHEREAS, 2019 marked the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act. On this
65 foundation, the United States and Taiwan have steadily developed strong economic, cultural,
66 and other cooperative relations;
67 WHEREAS, proximate to the time the United States passed the Taiwan Relations Act,
68 it also established the American Institute in Taiwan. For 40 years, the institute has helped the
69 United States and Taiwan establish and maintain positive and mutually beneficial relations.
70 Today, the institute's director is W. Brent Christensen, who is a native of Provo, Utah, and a
71 graduate of Brigham Young University;
72 WHEREAS, building on the foundation of the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States
73 has recently reaffirmed the strength of its relationship with Taiwan:
74 (1) through the Taiwan Travel Act;
75 (2) by dedicating a new $250 million compound for the American Institute in Taiwan
76 in 2018; and
77 (3) by including Taiwan in the Global Entry Program.
78 Each of these actions evidences that the partnership between the United States and
79 Taiwan is as strong as it has ever been; and
80 WHEREAS, Taiwan is a member of the United States' Visa Waiver Program and the
81 Global Entry Program, reflecting the mutual friendship, trust, and cooperation both share,
82 making business and tourist travel between Taiwan and the United States more convenient:
83 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
84 Governor concurring therein, on behalf of the people of the state of Utah, reaffirms the
85 friendship between the state of Utah and Taiwan.
86 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state of Utah continues to support efforts to
87 further strengthen the United States' and Taiwan's religious, trade, educational, and cultural
88 relationship.
89 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the United
90 States' secretary of state, each member of the Utah Congressional delegation, and the Taipei
91 Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco.