TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Florida House of Representatives passed a resolution on May 4 to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the sister-state relationship between Florida and Taiwan.

The resolution mentioned that many cities in Taiwan and Florida have sister-city relationships, such as between Miami-Dade County and New Taipei City and between Orlando and Tainan City, according to the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in Miami. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and former Tainan City Councilor Kuo Hsin-liang (郭信良) have both visited Florida to further strengthen bilateral relations and enhance shared values between Taiwan and the southern state, it said.

The resolution also said that April 10 marked the 44th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, which laid the foundation for continued commercial and cultural relations between the peoples of Taiwan and the U.S. As of January, Taiwan is the 10th largest trading partner of the U.S. and Florida’s eighth largest export and fifth largest import market in Asia.

The resolution mentioned that Taiwan donated 420,000 medical masks to assist Florida in combating COVID-19 and donated US$300,000 (NT$9.27 million) for Hurricane Ian relief efforts last year, demonstrating Taiwan's commitment to helping international partners in need.

Additionally, the resolution supports Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations such as the World Health Organization and calls for Taiwan's inclusion in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the signing of a bilateral trade agreement.

TECO-Miami said the passage of the resolution not only highlights the deep friendship between the two sides, but also helps to continue to deepen economic and cultural exchanges between Taiwan and the U.S. “We are grateful to the Florida House of Representatives for its strong support of Taiwan, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationship between Taiwan and Florida,” it said.