Minnesota House reaffirms ties with Taiwan, cites trade and welcomes Taiwanese delegation

The Minnesota House on the floor read and approved a resolution reaffirming support for deeper ties between Minnesota and Taiwan, highlighting bilateral trade and endorsing Taiwan's participation in international organizations.

Representative Rarick introduced visiting Taiwanese officials, saying the delegation included the Midwest director general and Vice Consul Jay Jay Lin and that the resolution was intended to "remember that we have a great friendship with the country of Taiwan," according to his remarks.

Representative Liz Lee, speaking as the resolution was read, noted that Minnesota established a sister-state relationship with Taiwan in 1984 and said the two jurisdictions have "enjoyed strong bilateral trade, educational, and cultural exchanges, and tourism." The resolution text cites several trade figures, including a 2024 bilateral-trade number and a reported 62% increase in trade from 2021 to 2024. The resolution also cites Minnesota goods exported to Taiwan in 2024 and states Taiwan purchased substantial U.S. agricultural products.

The resolution references the federal Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8, 22 U.S.C. §3301) as the statutory context for Minnesota businesses engaging with Taiwan and states that Minnesota will "support Minnesota businesses referring to Taiwan as Taiwan" in the conduct of trade.

Among its 'resolved' clauses, the measure calls for continued efforts toward a bilateral trade agreement and a comprehensive tax agreement to address double taxation, condemns efforts to undermine Taiwan's sovereign status, and expresses support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations that affect health, safety and other global issues.

The reading named specific economic ties between the United States and Taiwan, including cited figures for merchandise trade, Taiwan's direct investment in the U.S., and agricultural imports; the text also noted Taiwan's donations to Minnesota during the COVID‑19 pandemic (transcript: "more than 100,000 mass" — corrected here to "more than 100,000 masks" based on context in the resolution).

After the resolution reading, Representative Niska moved a brief recess for photographs. The presiding officer put the motion to a voice vote; the chair declared the motion prevailed and the House stood in recess.

The resolution is a formal expression of the Minnesota House's support; the transcript records the reading and the unanimous voice approval of the short recess but does not record a roll-call vote on the resolution itself within the provided segments.