The Mississippi legislature and Connecticut House of Representatives this week passed resolutions supporting closer ties with Taiwan.
The Mississippi Senate and House of Representatives signed a bill on Wednesday to “encourage further economic ties and friendship” between the state and Taiwan.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston Director-General Hsiao Yi-fang (蕭伊芳) was invited to the Mississippi State Capitol on Tuesday to receive the resolution after it was adopted by both chambers, the office said.
Photo: Taipei Times
The bill calls for closer partnership with Taiwan and expanding the nation’s role on the global stage, adding that it supports Taiwan’s efforts “to reserve peace, stability, and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait through meaningful dialogue.”
It also supports the nation’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity and international organizations such as the WHO.
It highlights the importance for the nation to participate in the International Civil Aviation Organization as it would “help develop a global aviation safety network and address vital issues.”
The example cited in the bill is Beijing’s unilateral changes to the M503 flight path earlier this year, which broke its agreement with Taipei.
On the economy, it calls for the signing of a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) between the US and Taiwan and the opening of a Mississippi trade and investment office in the nation.
The US and Taiwan enjoy a “robust trade and investment partnership,” which “provides a solid foundation” for a BTA “to spur job creation, further expand the global market and secure international supply chains,” it said.
Setting up a trade office would help stimulate trade and investment of small and medium-sized enterprises and deepen sister-state ties, it added.
On Wednesday, the Connecticut House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution commemorating the 25th anniversary of the sister-state relationship between the state and Taiwan, as well as the 45th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act.
The bill also calls for “a closer economic, educational, scientific and security partnership” between the US and Taiwan.
“Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is crucial to the maintenance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and Taiwan is an indispensable partner in safeguarding peace and stability in the region,” the bill says.
Taiwan is a “full-fledged democracy and robust free-market economy,” the bill says, while congratulating the nation for its “free, fair presidential election” on Jan. 13.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York Director James Lee (李光章) was invited to witness the passage of the bill and join the celebration party afterward, the office said.
In other news, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked the Philippines and New Zealand for publicly voicing support for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said they “recognized the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” in a joint statement issued after their meeting in Manila on Thursday.
The government welcomes international attention to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and calls on countries around the world to take action to ensure a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region, the ministry said in a press release.
Taiwan is to continue bolstering cooperation with like-minded countries, including the Philippines and New Zealand, to safeguard the rules-based international order and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity, it added.
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