TITLE: Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sister State relationship between Texas and Taiwan and welcoming Steve Hsia, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston.

SUMMARY: Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sister State relationship between Texas and Taiwan and welcoming Steve Hsia, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Texas and Taiwan are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their Sister State relationship in 2013, and to mark this occasion, Steve Hsia is visiting the Capitol on April 11, 2013, in his capacity as director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston; and WHEREAS, Promoting mutually advantageous connections, the Sister State relationship stems from the Sister Cities International initiative created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower; the program advances peace and prosperity through cultural, educational, humanitarian, and economic development efforts; and WHEREAS, Texas and Taiwan initiated their Sister State Agreement on June 13, 1988, and since that time, the resulting bonds of friendship and goodwill have provided myriad benefits; and WHEREAS, In 2011, Texas exports to Taiwan reached $3.6 billion, representing more than a 40 percent increase over the course of a two-year span; Taiwan ranks as our state's ninth largest export market; and WHEREAS, Major Texas exports to Taiwan include electronics, chemicals, machinery, and petroleum and coal products; moreover, Texas has attracted investment from many Taiwanese companies, among them Formosa Plastics, Foxconn, Inventec, Eva Air, and Yang Ming; and WHEREAS, Under the direction of Director General Steve Hsia, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston promotes exchanges and cooperation in trade, investment, science, technology, culture, education, and tourism; the office also serves the interests of the many Taiwanese citizens living and traveling in the area and provides consular services to those in need; and WHEREAS, For a quarter-century, the Sister State relationship between Texas and Taiwan has strengthened cultural and economic ties, and the vibrant partnership it has fostered will continue to enhance prosperity in the years to come; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sister State relationship between Texas and Taiwan and extend to Director General Steve Hsia of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and productive visit to the State Capitol; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Hsia as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Vo Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1195 was adopted by the House on April 11, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House