U.S. state legislators adopt pro-Taiwan resolutions

An association of America’s state legislators recently spoke in favor of strengthening cooperation with Taiwan and Taiwan’s inclusion in the newly-launched Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and international organizations, Taiwan’s representative office in the U.S. said on Friday.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) adopted a resolution on July 28 that encourages U.S. state legislatures to establish a “Taiwan Friendship Caucus” to strengthen cooperation with Taiwan across various fields, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECO) in Washington said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the ALEC expressed its continuous support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, according to TECO.

On the same day, the ALEC passed a second resolution that encourages the U.S. to invite Taiwan to join the IPEF, an economic initiative formally initiated by U.S. President Joe Biden on May 23, with a dozen initial partners, TECO said.

Having Taiwan included in IPEF negotiations would improve economic collaboration and prosperity and “counter China’s economic influence” in the region, as well as “deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan,” the ALEC noted in the resolution.

“These actions would not only strengthen the friendship between Taiwan and the state legislatures across the United States but also help deepen the bilateral economic and strategic partnership,” TECO said.

TECO expressed its gratitude to the ALEC for passing the resolutions and said it is willing to work with all levels of government across the United States to promote a stronger, mutually beneficial partnership, according to the news release.

The ALEC consists of nearly one-quarter of the country’s state legislators and stakeholders from across the policy spectrum, with its members representing more than 60 million Americans, according to the website of the association.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel