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Minnesota House introduces resolution reaffirming sister ties with Taiwan, cites trade and international participation
Summary
The Minnesota House of Representatives read a resolution reaffirming the state's sister-state relationship with Taiwan, citing trade ties, recent trade agreements and support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations; no floor vote on the resolution was recorded in the transcript.
The Minnesota House of Representatives on May 1 introduced and publicly read a resolution reaffirming the state's sister ties with Taiwan and endorsing closer economic and international cooperation.
The resolution, introduced by Representative Cedrick Robbins (Hennepin), lists trade statistics and policy statements supporting Taiwan, references the Taiwan Relations Act (U.S. Code title 22, section 3301), and urges support for a bilateral trade agreement, an avoidance-of-double-taxation pact, and Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations including the United Nations, World Health Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and INTERPOL. The transcript does not record a final vote or adoption on the resolution.
Why it matters: The resolution frames the Minnesota Legislature's stance on economic and diplomatic ties at the subnational level, emphasizing trade links and the local Taiwanese American community's contributions. It also expresses state-level support for broader U.S.-Taiwan trade initiatives cited in the resolution text.
Details in the chamber: During the reading, members cited figures and examples the text attributed to 2024 trade data. The resolution text as read in the chamber stated that bilateral trade reached more than $158,600,000,000 in 2024 and that Minnesota exported about $644,000,000 in goods to Taiwan in 2024, including medical and electronic equipment and machinery used in semiconductor supply chains. The text also said Taiwan imported $3,800,000,000 worth of U.S. farm products (listed as a 2024 figure) and that Taiwan donated more than 100,000 masks to Minnesota during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution also references the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade and notes an initial agreement under that initiative came into effect on Dec. 10, 2024, as stated in the reading.
Representative Robbins introduced the resolution and several members of the House read successive "whereas" clauses, including Representative Mohamud Noor (Hennepin), Representative Sandra Myers (Hennepin), Representative Cleaverne (Hennepin), Representative Steve Torkelson (Brown), Representative Fue Vang (Hennepin), Representative Davids (Fillmore), Representative Bonner (Hennepin), Representative Nash (Carver), Representative Hemmingson Jaeger (Washington), Representative Niska (Anoka) and others who participated in reciting or recognizing clauses in support.
The text explicitly cites the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. a7 3301) as the federal statutory framework referenced by the resolution and calls on Minnesota to endorse federal-level negotiations and frameworks intended to deepen U.S.-Taiwan economic ties. The resolution also invited distinguished guests from Taiwan to a reception following recess.
No formal vote recorded: The transcript provided does not show a roll-call or voice vote on the resolution, and the record excerpt ends with a recess to the call of the speaker. The resolution therefore is recorded in the transcript as introduced and read aloud, but the chamber action that would finalize adoption (if any) is not shown in the provided excerpt.
Ahead: The House recessed to the call of the speaker after the reading and announcements; the resolution's next procedural steps (committee referral, floor calendar placement, or final vote) were not specified in the excerpt.
