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Recognizing Taiwanese Americans’ contribution to City of Philadelphia, and showing support for City of Philadelphia to strengthen its economic, educational, and cultural ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan).
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WHEREAS, The United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan) share common values and a vision in which freedom and democracy form the foundation for peace, prosperity, and progress; and
WHEREAS, The U.S. Congress passed the landmark Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) in 1979 to sustain a close bilateral relationship and advance mutual security and commercial interests between the U.S. and Taiwan; thereafter, the TRA and Six Assurances have served as the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations, which has played an important role in upholding global stability and prosperity; and
WHEREAS, The United States and Taiwan share robust economic ties, exemplified by $256 billion in bilateral trade in 2025, making Taiwan the fourth-largest trading partner of the United States; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania and Taiwan have developed a close friendship that is exemplified by economic and people-to-people exchanges. Taiwan is Pennsylvania’s largest import market in Asia, and Taiwan was Pennsylvania’s sixth-largest export Asian market in 2025. Since Pennsylvania reopened its Trade and Investment Office in Taiwan in 2022, it has helped to make Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, a home to a growing number of Taiwanese companies that create numerous jobs; and
WHEREAS, The United States-Taiwan Education Initiative was launched in 2020 to strengthen cooperation in international education and to highlight Taiwan’s capacity to provide high-quality Mandarin language instruction and educational exchanges; and
WHEREAS, Schools and institutions of higher education in both Philadelphia and Taiwan are encouraged to expand and deepen their academic exchanges, as exemplified by the partnership between Temple University and National Taiwan University in the “Taiwan Huayu Best Program” since 2020, through which American students travel to Taiwan for Mandarin language study and cultural exchange. Additionally, since 2024, the University of Pennsylvania has partnered with National Taiwan University to hold an exchange program for students conducting research in the semiconductor field; and
WHEREAS, The significant contributions of millions of Taiwanese Americans have enriched our city, state, and nation. In Philadelphia, Taiwanese Americans, through organizations such as the Taiwanese Association of America Greater Philadelphia, have demonstrated their presence and impact through charitable activities, assisting elders and those in need, and celebrating cultural traditions such as the Lunar New Year and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May; and
WHEREAS, As the City of Philadelphia celebrates the 250th anniversary of the founding of America in 2026, it also recognizes the 30th anniversary of the Republic of China (Taiwan)’s first direct presidential election-a significant milestone and clear testament to the strength and vitality of Taiwan’s democracy; and
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, hereby pays tribute to Taiwanese Americans in Philadelphia whose leadership, service, and enduring contributions have helped shape a more vibrant, prosperous, and resilient city, and expresses its support for closer economic, educational, and cultural partnerships between the City of Philadelphia and Taiwan.
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