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9 LONG TITLE
10 General Description:
11 This resolution reaffirms the friendship between the state of Utah and Taiwan.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 ▸ recognizes that Utah and Taiwan share important values, including a commitment to
15 religious freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and a free market
16 economy;
17 ▸ recognizes that Utah and Taiwan maintain strong ties, including a sister-state and
18 sister-city relationships;
19 ▸ recognizes that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Utah and Taiwan worked together
20 to help each other fight against the spread of the infectious disease; and
21 ▸ supports efforts to further strengthen religious, trade, educational, and cultural
22 relationships between Utah and Taiwan.
23 Special Clauses:
24 None
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26 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
27 WHEREAS, the state of Utah is proud of the friendship that it has enjoyed with Taiwan
28 over the years, which is characterized by a strong exchange in religion, education, culture,
29 tourism, and scientific and technological development, and continued cooperation;
30 WHEREAS, since 1956, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has dispatched
31 more than 43,000 missionaries, including former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman and
32 Congressman John Curtis, to Taiwan as a friendly exchange between our peoples;
33 WHEREAS, despite Taiwan's strict border control measures during a COVID-19 surge
34 in mid-2021, the government of Taiwan agreed to issue "special permits" for new leaders of the
35 Church's Taichung Mission to enter Taiwan and is working hard to help missionaries enter
36 Taiwan;
37 WHEREAS, Utah and Taiwan share important values, including a commitment to
38 religious freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and a free market economy;
39 WHEREAS, Taiwan Ambassador Bi-khim Hsiao was invited to visit Utah in July 2021
40 to attend the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) 2021 Conference, where she
41 delivered a speech at its general meeting, stressing the importance of the collaborative
42 relationship between Taiwan and Utah, as well as Taiwan and the United States;
43 WHEREAS, Taiwan is Utah's fifth largest trading partner and sixth largest export
44 destination, with Utah exporting more than $650 million in goods to Taiwan in 2020, including
45 electronics, food, chemicals, and machinery;
46 WHEREAS, Taiwanese companies like TCI are investing in Utah and Utah companies
47 are investing in Taiwan;
48 WHEREAS, Utah and Taiwan maintain strong ties, including a sister-state relationship
49 established in 1980 and several sister-city relationships;
50 WHEREAS, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Utah and Taiwan worked together to
51 help each other fight against the spread of the infectious disease;
52 WHEREAS, in 2020, Taiwan donated over 200,000 medical masks to Utah, including
53 the Navajo Nation area, to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic;
54 WHEREAS, in 2021, Keelung, Taiwan, donated 10,000 facial masks to Salt Lake City;
55 WHEREAS, in 2021, the United States, with support from U.S. Senator Mitt Romney
56 and others, donated a total of four million doses of COVID vaccines to Taiwan; and
57 WHEREAS, this year marks the 43rd anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, a
58 foundation upon which the United States generally, and Utah in particular, have maintained
59 and steadily strengthened their economic, security, educational, and cultural ties:
60 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
61 Governor concurring therein, on behalf of the people of the state of Utah, reaffirms the
62 friendship between the state of Utah and Taiwan.
63 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor support efforts to
64 further strengthen religious, trade, educational, and cultural relationships between Utah and
65 Taiwan, including teacher and student exchanges, a driver's license reciprocity agreement, and
66 other measures consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act.
67 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the U.S.
68 Secretary of State, each member of the Utah Congressional delegation, and the Taipei
69 Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco.