SJR 8-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN  4:27:55 PM CHAIR GIESSEL announced the consideration of SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 8 Relating to strengthening international relations with Taiwan. She invited the sponsor and her staff to present the resolution. 4:28:21 PM SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON, District G, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, introduced SJR 8: [Original punctuation provided.] Senate Joint Resolution 8 reaffirms Alaska's commitment to strengthening its relationship with Taiwan, highlighting the deep economic, cultural, and educational ties between the two nations. Taiwan is a key economic partner for Alaska, ranking as the state's eighth-largest export market in 2023 and fourth-largest market in Asia. The resolution emphasizes the importance of expanding trade relations, particularly in Alaska's seafood industry, which benefits from Taiwan's high-quality seafood market. In 1989, the first Alaska-Taiwan trade office opened in Taipei. The trade office was a success in promoting international trade and growth between Alaska and Taiwan. The organization worked to promote trade and cultural contacts between residents of Alaska and Taiwan, and this proposed legislation before us today would promote the same meaningful relationship. Taiwan is a country with a voracious appetite for natural resources, fish, timber, oil, and many other resources that Alaska has on abundance. In 1988, before the trade office was established, sales of fish products were only $300,000 annually. After the office was established, the sale of seafood between Alaska and Taiwan rose to $6 million annually, confirming that the presence of an Alaskan trade office will help with the promotion of Alaska's current abundant resources. 4:30:06 PM SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON continued to introduce SJR 8. Alaska and Taiwan have a long history of cultural and educational exchanges, with sister-city partnerships between Fairbanks and Tainan City, Juneau and Chiayi City, and Anchorage and Taipei City. Reestablishing an Alaska Trade Office in Taiwan would further strengthen these connections and create a foundation for collaboration in technology, international seafood sales, education, tourism, and much more. SJR 8 supports Taiwan's efforts in maintaining a strong relationship with the State of Alaska. 4:30:50 PM CLARK BICKFORD, Staff, Senator Gray-Jackson, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, said he was available to answer questions on SJR 8. 4:31:22 PM CHAIR GIESSEL announced invited testimony on SJR 8. There was a period of technical difficulty with the testifiers' connections. 4:32:46 PM DANIEL CHEN, Director, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Seattle, Washington, testified by invitation in support of SJR 8. He thanked Senator Gray-Jackson for introducing SJR 8 and for her research in Taiwan to identify opportunities for cooperation with Alaska. He emphasized the long-standing relationship between Alaska and Taiwan, including the sister-state relationship established in 1988 and city partnerships between AnchorageTaipei, FairbanksTainan, and JuneauChiayi. MR. CHEN said Taiwan was Alaska's largest export destination as of 2023 and ranked fourth in the Indo-Pacific, with total bilateral trade of approximately $188 million. He outlined several areas where Taiwan can further support Alaska's economy: • Energy cooperation: Alaska's natural gas resources align with Taiwan's efforts to strengthen energy resilience and diversification. He noted that discussions were already underway regarding LNG exports to Taiwan. • Seafood exports: Taiwan imported $1.9 billion in seafood in 2023, but the United States ranks only 10th as a supplier, with about 1.5 percent market share. Alaska's premium seafood presents significant growth potential. • Technology and innovation: Taiwan's Smart City and AI initiatives create opportunities for collaboration in digital infrastructure, urban efficiency, and innovation. • Education exchanges: Taiwan's globally recognized advanced technology education system offers strong potential for expanded educational exchange programs with Alaska. • Tourism and cultural exchange: Post-COVID growth in U.S. Taiwan tourism, including new SeattleTaipei direct flights, opened opportunities to increase tourism to Alaska. 4:36:37 PM MR. CHEN urged that reopening an Alaska trade office in Taiwan would deepen economic ties, build on existing trade performance, and provide access to broader Asia-Pacific markets, including Indonesia and the Philippines. He cited examples from other states: Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, showing significant export growth after establishing or reopening trade offices in Taiwan. MR. CHEN concluded by committing continued support from his Seattle-based team to work with Alaska state government and stakeholders to reopen the Alaska trade office in Taiwan, strengthen small business connections, and expand economic opportunities. 4:39:45 PM CAMERON CARLSON, Dean, College of Business and Security Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), Fairbanks, Alaska, testified by invitation in support of SJR 8, which he said aimed to strengthen Alaska's economic and trade relationship with Taiwan. He described how the College of Business and Security Management (CBSM) was actively advancing this goal through efforts to establish a partnership with the National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST), specifically its Colleges of Management and Marine Commerce. MR. CARLSON said the proposed partnership would focus on educational and research collaboration in business and marine commercesectors central to Alaska's economic future and its trade relationship with Taiwan. He emphasized that this initiative would go beyond academic exchange and reflected Alaska's broader commitment to building meaningful, long-term international partnerships that could support trade and investment growth. He underscored Taiwan's importance to Alaska's economy, noting that in 2023, Taiwan was Alaska's eighth-largest export market and the fourth largest in Asia, with the seafood industry standing to benefit significantly from expanded trade. He said reopening an Alaska trade office in Taiwan was a key opportunity to enhance trade, as well as economic and cultural exchange. He noted that SJR 8 was timely given shifting global supply chains and the growing importance of partnerships with reliable trade partners. He said Taiwan's track record in responsible global trade, combined with expanded educational exchanges and joint research, would support workforce development and reinforce Alaska's leadership in maritime commerce and international business. He concluded that the CBSMNKUST partnership was a concrete example of AlaskaTaiwan engagement, and that SJR 8 would strengthen the foundation for deeper educational, cultural, and economic ties and increased mutual trade and investment. 4:43:00 PM CHAIR GIESSEL closed invited testimony and opened public testimony. 4:43:44 PM EMILY KLOC, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, urged the committee to pass SJR 8, emphasizing that both Alaska and Taiwan stood to benefit from expanded trade and educational exchanges. She expressed concern about the impacts of global trade negotiations on Alaska's economy and argued that resuming an Alaska trade office in Taiwan would help mitigate those effects. She said increased trade with Taiwan could help lower the cost of goods for Alaskans and noted that the Alaska seafood industry would benefit from a stronger trade relationship. She strongly encouraged the committee to support SJR 8. 4:45:10 PM JEFF CHEN, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SJR 8. As a multimedia producer, small business owner, and former Anchorage Sister Cities commissioner, he emphasized the mutual benefits Alaska and Taiwan could gain through expanded trade, education, tourism, and cultural exchange. He cited examples of cooperation, including facilitating critical PPE shipments from Taiwan to Alaska during the pandemic and U.S. vaccine assistance to Taiwan. He highlighted personal and cultural ties between Alaska and Taiwan, and current trade as well as potential for the future. He advocated for establishing an Alaska trade office in Taiwan, restoring direct flights, and expanding cultural exchanges, concluding that closer ties with Taiwan would help Alaska build economic opportunity and democratic partnerships across the Pacific. 4:48:20 PM TRACY FAN, representing self, Eagle River, Alaska, testified in support of SJR 8. She said increased trade and cultural exchange between Alaska and Taiwan would be mutually beneficial. She expressed particular interest in restoring direct flights between Alaska and Taiwan to strengthen traditional, economic, and cultural ties, and thanked the committee for considering her testimony. 4:49:33 PM KEY MA, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SJR 8. Drawing on 30 years of aviation experience, he emphasized Alaska's strategic geographic position for trans- Pacific aviation and noted existing connections between Alaska Airlines and Taiwan through Starlux. He argued that establishing direct flights to Taiwan would significantly strengthen business ties with Taiwan and Asia more broadly and expressed strong support for advancing Alaska's aviation role. 4:51:10 PM CALVIN CHANG, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SJR 8. He noted that he was an Alaska resident of Taiwanese descent and stated that strengthening ties between Alaska and Taiwan would be mutually beneficial, particularly through expanded tourism and trade. He concurred with previous testimony that direct flights would be very convenient. He expressed appreciation for SJR 8 and for the opportunity to provide testimony. 4:52:31 PM CHAIR GIESSEL closed public testimony on SJR 8. 4:52:40 PM SENATOR DUNBAR referenced a discussion earlier that day with the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) about restoring direct flights to Asia. He said DOTPF leadership expressed doubts about sufficient market demand. He argued that decisions should consider broader economic, trade, and strategic benefits beyond passenger numbers, such as time savings and stronger international connections. He asked whether direct flights to Asia, including Taipei, were encompassed within the resolution's goals for economic and trade partnerships, and whether the resolution could be shared with airport directors to support those efforts. 4:53:49 PM SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON concurred. 4:53:58 PM SENATOR KAWASAKI referred to SJR 8, page 3, lines 1 through 3, and asked for clarification on the fourth "further resolved" clause of SJR 8, specifically whether it referred to any trade or tax agreement currently under consideration in Congress. He noted the provision seemed vague and sought more specificity on what agreements were being contemplated. 4:54:28 PM MR. BICKFORD expressed appreciation for the inquiry and committed to a prompt answer following the meeting. 4:54:53 PM CHAIR GIESSEL held SJR 8 in committee.