HR219 Summary

• Commends Taiwan and the United States as longstanding allies sharing common values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

• Recognizes Taiwan's success combatting COVID-19 in 2020, including donation of 90,000 surgical masks and 20,000 N95 masks to Alabama, and its contribution of tens of millions of masks globally.

• Notes Taiwan's economic significance: ninth-largest U.S. trading partner supporting 330,000 American jobs; 23rd export market for Alabama, investing $327 million and supporting 5,401 Alabama jobs.

• Supports signing a U.S.-Taiwan bilateral trade agreement, establishing a Taiwan trade office, educational exchanges in Mandarin and English, and a reciprocal driver license agreement between Taiwan and Alabama.

• Directs transmission of the resolution to the Governor, Secretary of State, and Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta.