Governor Greg Abbott announced that Texas will be establishing a trade representative office in Taiwan. This move comes at a time when relations between the US and China are becoming increasingly strained.
During the initial day of his economic development trip to Asia, which includes visits to Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, Abbott officially declared the announcement on Sunday.
In a recent statement released by his office, the Republican governor revealed that he had a meeting with President Lai Ching-te at the Presidential Office. During the meeting, they discussed how Texas and Taiwan could collaborate to enhance their trade relations and investments in crucial economic sectors such as semiconductor, energy, and electric vehicle manufacturing industries. The focus was on exploring opportunities to strengthen their partnership and foster growth and development in these key areas.
According to a separate statement from the governor’s office, the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office will now oversee operations of the newly established office in Taiwan. The office’s primary objective is to facilitate foreign direct investment and job creation in Texas and boost the state’s exports to Taiwan and other nations.
Governor Abbott emphasized the importance of economic partnership between Texas and Taiwan, highlighting their shared goal of driving innovation. He expressed his commitment to working collaboratively to ensure that the people of both regions have the freedom and opportunities to flourish in the rapidly evolving economies of the 21st century.
After signing an economic development Statement of Intent to strengthen investment, trade, and collaboration between Taiwan and the politicians, Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs Jyh-Huei Kuo announced the establishment of a new trade relations office.
According to the office of Abbott, Texas had a trade worth $21.3 billion with Taiwan in 2023, making Taiwan the seventh-largest trade partner of the state.
In an online statement, Lai expressed his delight in welcoming Abbott to Taiwan.
The president expressed enthusiasm for enhancing the relationship between Taiwan and Texas and foster more business connections and investments. He stated, “We’re thrilled to strengthen the #Taiwan-#Texas friendship & create opportunities for further business ties & investment.”
In a separate statement, it was mentioned that Abbott had expressed his pride in inaugurating the new office to him.
According to him, the Texas Office in Taiwan will be a crucial factor in building a strong bond of friendship between Taiwan, Texas, and the United States, fortifying and intensifying the Taiwan-U.S. alliance, and fostering peace and prosperity.
In 1979, the United States ended diplomatic relations with Taiwan in order to establish connections with China. China views Taiwan, an autonomous democratic island, as a rogue province and has promised to take it back by force if required.
Over the years, the United States has developed unofficial diplomatic relations with Taiwan, with the U.S. State Department referring to the island as a crucial partner in the Indo-Pacific region.
As China’s threat to the democracy of Taiwan has increased, Washington has been actively seeking to strengthen its relations with the island nation.
Last year, four offices were opened on the island, and Texas is now set to open its 23rd office, making it the latest U.S. state to establish a presence there.
