House Resolution 114 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 114 BY LOFGREN , KELLEY , BERRY , DRAKE , HANUSA , ROGERS , THOMAS , H. MILLER , MOORE , KAUFMANN , BALTIMORE , JORGENSEN , HEDDENS , GASKILL , SCHULTZ , WOOD , ALONS , SHEETS , LANDON , R. TAYLOR , DEYOE , DUNKEL , PAULSEN , UPMEYER , OURTH , BEARINGER , MASCHER , M. SMITH , and JACOBY A Resolution reaffirming Iowa’s commitment to 1 its relationship with Taiwan, particularly to 2 strengthening sister-state ties and continuing 3 to grow trade and exchanges between Iowa and 4 Taiwan; reaffirming support for Taiwan’s efforts to 5 secure entry to the Trans-Pacific Partnership; and 6 supporting the signing of a bilateral investment 7 agreement between Taiwan and the United States. 8 WHEREAS, relations between the Republic of China 9 (Taiwan) and the United States, in particular the State 10 of Iowa, which shares sister-city and sister-state 11 relationships with Taiwan, are marked by strong 12 bilateral trade, educational and cultural exchanges, 13 and tourism; and 14 WHEREAS, Taiwan shares with the United States 15 and the State of Iowa the common values of freedom, 16 democracy, and human rights, and a commitment to the 17 rule of law; and 18 WHEREAS, the United States ranks as Taiwan’s 19 third-largest trading partner, and Taiwan is the 20 United States’ 11th largest trading partner, with total 21 bilateral trade reaching $63 billion in 2012; and 22 WHEREAS, Taiwan and the State of Iowa have enjoyed 23 -1- LSB 6173HH (4) 85 jr/rj 1/ 3

H.R. 114 a long and mutually beneficial relationship and 1 anticipate continuing growth, with Taiwan ranking as 2 Iowa’s 20th largest export destination in 2012, with 3 $92.25 million worth of Iowa goods shipped to Taiwan, 4 including food, machinery, chemicals, miscellaneous 5 manufactured commodities, and agricultural 6 products; and 7 WHEREAS, Taiwan’s imports of goods continue to 8 contribute to Iowa’s economy since the September 2013 9 visit of the Taiwan Agricultural Goodwill Mission to 10 the United States, which included a delegation visit 11 to Des Moines and signing of letters of intent for 12 Iowa-grown corn and soybeans through 2015; and 13 WHEREAS, Taiwan, in order to contribute to greater 14 regional integration in the Asia-Pacific region 15 and further promote bilateral investment and trade 16 relations with the United States, seeks to join the 17 Trans-Pacific Partnership, the proposed 21st century 18 trade agreement between the United States and currently 19 11 other Asia-Pacific Rim countries, and the United 20 States has announced its intention that membership in 21 the Trans-Pacific Partnership expand in the future to 22 include other friendly countries, such as Taiwan; and 23 WHEREAS, Taiwan, an important economic power, 24 a dynamic market economy, and leading supplier of 25 high-tech products, is the world’s 17th largest 26 economy, 14th largest exporter, and 16th largest 27 importer; and according to the 2014 Index of Economic 28 Freedom, Taiwan ranks as the world’s 20th most free 29 economy, and fifth most free among 42 economies in the 30 -2- LSB 6173HH (4) 85 jr/rj 2/ 3

H.R. 114 Asia-Pacific region, only behind Hong Kong, Singapore, 1 Australia, and New Zealand, and is deserving of greater 2 participation and inclusion in wider regional economic 3 integration; and 4 WHEREAS, negotiations for a bilateral investment 5 agreement between Taiwan and the United States are an 6 important step toward further strengthening bilateral 7 trade and paving the way for entering into a free-trade 8 agreement between our two countries, thereby increasing 9 Iowa’s exports to Taiwan and creating bilateral 10 investment and technical collaboration through tariff 11 reduction and other trade facilitation measures; NOW 12 THEREFORE, 13 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That 14 the House of Representatives reaffirms its support for 15 strengthening sister-state and sister-city ties between 16 Taiwan and the State of Iowa and continued growth in 17 bilateral trade, particularly agricultural goods; 18 reaffirms support for Taiwan’s efforts to secure entry 19 into the Trans-Pacific Partnership to contribute to 20 greater regional integration; and supports the signing 21 of a bilateral investment agreement between Taiwan and 22 the United States to increase exports and facilitate 23 trade and investment with Taiwan; and 24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the 25 House of Representatives is directed to send a copy of 26 this resolution to United States Secretary of State 27 John F. Kerry; President Ma Ying-jeou of the Republic 28 of China (Taiwan); and the Taipei Economic and Cultural 29 Office in Chicago, Illinois. 30 -3- LSB 6173HH (4) 85 jr/rj 3/ 3