STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1449-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.R. No. 80

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs, to which was referred H.R. No. 80 entitled:

"HOUSE RESOLUTION SUPPORTING A CLOSER PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND TAIWAN IN VALUES AND COMMON GOALS, THE RELATIONSHIPS AND EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE STATE OF HAWAII AND TAIWAN, TAIWAN'S INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION, AND THE SIGNING OF A UNITED STATES-TAIWAN BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Endorse the participation of Taiwan as an observer in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, International Civil Aviation Organization, World Health Organization, and International Criminal Police Organization;

(2) Support further progress on the United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and the early conclusion of negotiations, and encourage the United States Trade Representative to commence negotiations to enter into a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan; and

(3) Commemorate the State's thirty-first anniversary of sister-state relations with Taiwan and the forty‑fifth anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Your Committee finds that Taiwan and the United States share common values, such as the ideal of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and a free market economy. Your Committee further finds that Mandarin is designated as a critical language in the United States, exemplified by the establishment of the United States-Taiwan Education Initiative in 2020 to strengthen cooperation on international education and highlight Taiwan's ability to provide Mandarin language instruction. The University of Hawaii and the National Tsing Hua University also share a partnership to enhance their exchange programs, granting the opportunity to improve Mandarin language skills for a number of Hawaii residents. Given the already positive relationships between the United States and Taiwan and Hawaii and Taiwan, your Committee believes in supporting further progress in these two relationships and endorses greater inclusion of Taiwan in various international organizations.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 80 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Culture, Arts, & International Affairs,

____________________________

ADRIAN K. TAM, Chair