The Utah State Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, as Taiwan donated US$200,000 to Washington State for flood recovery.
The resolution was introduced by Utah State Senator Scott Sandall and also calls for stronger bilateral exchanges in religion, economics and culture, while emphasizing the importance of cooperation in technology and higher education.
San Francisco Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Director-General David Wu (伍志翔) attended the session in person and thanked the state senate on behalf of the government.
Photo courtesy of the Utah State Legislature via CNA
The resolution also marked the 47th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act.
Taiwan and Utah established a sister-state relationship in 1980, while Taiwan was the first nation to establish a reciprocal driver’s license agreement with Utah, the resolution said.
Since 1956, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has sent 43,000 Mormon missionaries to Taiwan, it added.
Separately, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle Director-General Lin Mei-cheng (林美呈) on Thursday made a US$200,000 donation for flood recovery to the American Red Cross on behalf of the government.
In December last year, heavy rains caused historic flooding in Washington State, displacing more than 100,000 residents, destroying almost 4,000 homes and damaging critical infrastructure, including parts of US Route 2, state statistics showed.
Washington Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck attended a ceremony at the Washington State Capitol to receive the donation and thanked the people of Taiwan and its government for their kindness.
The friendship between Washington State and Taiwan is steadfast and both sides would continue to deepen cooperation, he said.
Taiwan is often hit by natural disasters and deeply understands the restoration work and support needed during this time, including a strong community backing, Lin said.
Taiwan cooperates with Washington State in trade, education, technology and culture, while the number of Taiwanese in the state continues to grow, she said.
Taiwanese and their government recognize the impact of the flooding and hope that those affected can return to normal life as soon as possible, she added.
The overseas Taiwanese community in the US has also stepped in to help, with the Seattle branch of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation providing supplies and donations totaling US$120,000, she said.
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