The Senate and the House of Delegates of the State of West Virginia respectively passed a Resolution and a Legislative Citation on February 6, 2020, celebrating the landmark 40th anniversary of its sister-state relationship with Taiwan, recognizing Taiwan as a beacon of democracy in the world, supporting the signing of a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) between the United States and Taiwan, and reaffirming support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in various international organizations including WHO, ICAO, UNFCCC and INTERPOL.
Consular Affairs Director Daniel D.Y. Chou of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the U.S. was invited to witness the passage of the two significant statements and delivered remarks of appreciation at both Chambers before Senate President-Lieutenant Governor Mitch Carmichael and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw presented the Resolution and Legislative Citation respectively to the TECRO delegation.
West Virginia and Taiwan have strengthened their sister-state relationship with impressive outcomes since August 4, 1980. Both sides signed a driver’s licenses reciprocal agreement in July, 2015. In 2018, the volume of bilateral trade between West Virginia and Taiwan exceeded $100 million, and Taiwan is West Virginia’s 7th export market in Asia, demonstrating that Taiwan is a key trading partner.
TECRO would like to further express its heartfelt appreciation for the longstanding support from West Virginia, “the Mountain State”, and looks forward to strengthening an even closer partnership for the decades to come.
