[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 156 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 363--SUPPORTING CONTINUED UNITED STATES AND TAIWAN 
                        COOPERATION IN EDUCATION

  Mrs. BLACKBURN (for herself and Mr. Markey) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 363

       Whereas Mandarin is the second most spoken language in the 
     world with more than 1,000,000,000 speakers;
       Whereas Mandarin is a critical language that is essential 
     to United States national security and prosperity, as 
     identified by the Department of State Critical Language 
     Scholarship Program;
       Whereas learning a foreign language benefits students 
     academically and improves critical thinking, communication, 
     and knowledge of different cultures;
       Whereas the internet has made it easier for companies to 
     serve a global market and employers report favoring 
     candidates who can speak a foreign language;
       Whereas, in December 2020, the U.S.-Taiwan Education 
     Initiative, a two-way educational exchange between the two 
     countries, was created--
       (1) to expand opportunities for students from the United 
     States to learn Mandarin from Taiwanese teachers;
       (2) to promote United States educators choosing Taiwan as a 
     destination to teach English; and
       (3) to deepen educational cooperation between the United 
     States and Taiwan;
       Whereas the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative coincides with 
     widespread closures of Confucius Institutes in the United 
     States and around the world;
       Whereas there continues to be high student demand for 
     studies relating to Mandarin language, culture, and history 
     delivered in a censorship and coercion-free environment; and
       Whereas, due to continuing political, economic, and 
     security challenges, there is a need for continued access to 
     the Mandarin language and expertise in Taiwan affairs: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative; and
       (2) encourages--
       (A) institutions of higher education to continue partnering 
     with Taiwan in order to meet the demand for Mandarin 
     instruction and learning programs;
       (B) schools, school districts, and State and local 
     educational agencies to host teacher exchange programs, such 
     as those offered by the Department of State Teachers of 
     Critical Language Program; and
       (C) United States teachers to choose Taiwan as a 
     destination to learn Mandarin and to teach English, 
     particularly through the J. William Fulbright Educational 
     Exchange Program.

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