Visiting Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said his state is planning to open a trade office in Taiwan, during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (???) in Taipei Thursday.
“As a reflection of Arizona’s commitment to the growing relationship with Taiwan, last month I was proud to sign legislation establishing our state’s first foreign trade office in Taiwan,” said Ducey, who arrived in Taipei on Tuesday with a business delegation for a three-day visit.
Ducey, who served as the chief executive officer of the international ice cream parlor chain Cold Stone Creamery from 1995-2007, described the partnership between Arizona and Taiwan as “a sure recipe for success.”
Speaking in the same vein, Tsai said she had “every confidence” that the establishment of the planned trade office would help “accelerate our bilateral economic and trade collaboration.”
According to a press statement issued by Ducey’s office, the proposed trade office in Taiwan will launch “later this year.”
Currently, at least 12 U.S. states have opened a representative or trade office in Taiwan, according to the American State Offices Association (ASOA) headquartered in Taipei.
Ducey told Tsai that Arizona and Taiwan had many shared economic strengths, especially in technology and advanced manufacturing industries.
The relationship between Arizona and Taiwan goes beyond just shared business priorities, the 58-year-old governor said, adding that it was a partnership “rooted in friendship and trust.”
“Arizona stands with Taiwan and we look forward to building on the many opportunities ahead,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tsai said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) US$12 billion chip manufacturing plant in Arizona would serve as “a benchmark” for Taiwan-U.S. cooperation on high-tech industrial supply chains.
TSMC started constructing the chip factory in the Arizonan capital of Phoenix in 2021, with the aim of starting production by 2024.
Tsai said she was “confident” that Taiwan and Arizona would further deepen bilateral cooperation in such areas as education, culture, the economy, trade, and technology.
At the same time, Taiwan would seek to bolster cooperation with the U.S. in the semiconductor and other high-tech industries, Tsai said, adding that the country looked forward to jointly producing “democracy chips” to “safeguard the interests of our democratic partners and create greater prosperity.”
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel