House Resolution 108 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 108 BY SHIPLEY A Resolution honoring the enduring special relationship 1 between the state of Iowa and Taiwan. 2 WHEREAS, in November 2021, the Iowa General Assembly 3 established the Iowa Statehouse Taiwan Friendship 4 Caucus with bipartisan support, becoming the fourth 5 such caucus in midwestern states; and 6 WHEREAS, Taiwan is a vibrant democracy with a 7 flourishing civil society grounded in respect for 8 freedom, human rights, and the rule of law; and 9 WHEREAS, Taiwan has been one of Iowa’s most 10 important export markets in Asia, supporting the 11 state’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors 12 through the Iowa International Center’s Partner States 13 Program; and 14 WHEREAS, in 2024, Taiwan and the state of Iowa 15 signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Economic 16 Cooperation and Trade Relations to strengthen bilateral 17 cooperation and expand opportunities for trade, 18 investment, and industry collaboration; and 19 WHEREAS, in November 2025, the Iowa Economic 20 Development Authority assigned a trade representative 21 to its Taiwan office to enhance Iowa’s presence in Asia 22 and deepen economic and investment ties; and 23 WHEREAS, during 2024, Taiwan was the United States’ 24 7th largest merchandise trading partner, 12th largest 25 export market, and 8th largest source of imports; and 26 WHEREAS, between 2021 and 2024, the United States 27 exported soybeans, corn, wheat, and beef to Taiwan 28 -1- LSB 6069HH (4) 91 jm/jh 1/ 3
H.R. 108 totaling $8.46 billion, directly benefiting American 1 farmers, including those in the state of Iowa; and 2 WHEREAS, President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan announced 3 that businesses plan to increase purchases of these 4 agricultural commodities to $10 billion between 2025 5 and 2028, an 18 percent increase, helping reduce the 6 trade deficit of the United States and to mitigate 7 risks from global trade disruptions; and 8 WHEREAS, Taiwan promotes the Strategic Three Chains: 9 the Democratic Value Chain grounded in freedom, human 10 rights, and rule of law, the Non-Red Supply Chain 11 which reduces the dependence on authoritarian regimes, 12 and the First Island Chain which links South Korea, 13 Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines to support peace, 14 prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific; and 15 WHEREAS, the year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary 16 of the founding of the United States and the 30th 17 anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential 18 election, milestones that highlight the shared values 19 and longstanding partnership between the two nations 20 in advancing liberty, democracy, prosperity, and 21 peace; NOW THEREFORE, 22 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That 23 the House of Representatives reaffirms its commitment 24 to strengthening and deepening ties between the state 25 of Iowa and Taiwan; and 26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 27 Representatives supports Taiwan’s meaningful 28 participation in the international arena and condemns 29 efforts to undermine the sovereign status of Taiwan 30 -2- LSB 6069HH (4) 91 jm/jh 2/ 3
H.R. 108 or international engagement through the distortion of 1 United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758; and 2 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 3 Representatives recognizes the significance of these 4 historic milestones and reaffirms its strong support 5 for continued peace, stability, and prosperity in the 6 Taiwan Strait; and 7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 8 Representatives supports the state of Iowa and Taiwan 9 in continuing to deepen their bilateral partnership, 10 strengthen economic and people-to-people ties, and 11 advance shared democratic values in the years ahead. 12 -3- LSB 6069HH (4) 91 jm/jh 3/ 3