President Lai Meets U.S. House Delegation, Urges Stronger Taiwan-U.S. Economic Ties and “Non-Red” Supply Chain Cooperation
On May 27, President Lai Ching-te welcomed a bipartisan delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives at the Presidential Office in Taipei, reaffirming Taiwan’s commitment to deepening U.S.-Taiwan economic relations and building democratic and resilient “non-red” supply chains free from authoritarian influence.
The delegation was led by Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus. He was joined by Representatives Celeste Maloy (R-UT), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Nick Begich (R-AK), and Sarah Elfreth (D-MD).
In his remarks, President Lai expressed appreciation for the U.S. Congress’s continued bipartisan support, noting the strong foundation of U.S.-Taiwan cooperation across various sectors, including agriculture, fisheries, energy, environmental protection, and sustainable development.
He noted that the U.S. has become Taiwan’s largest overseas investment destination, accounting for over 40 percent of Taiwan’s total outbound investment. At the same time, Taiwan ranks as the United States’ seventh-largest trading partner and the seventh-largest export market for American agricultural products.
President Lai also reiterated Taiwan’s intent to continue increasing purchases of U.S. goods, including agricultural products, industrial commodities, natural gas, and petroleum. These procurements, he said, will help create a more balanced trade relationship and enhance Taiwan’s economic, energy, and trade resilience.
The president highlighted the significance of Taiwan’s participation in the SelectUSA Investment Summit, held earlier this month in Washington, DC, where 138 representatives from Taiwanese companies comprised the largest overseas delegation. This underscores that Taiwan and the U.S. enjoy close industrial ties and continue to explore new opportunities for investment and collaboration.
He reaffirmed Taiwan’s eagerness to support U.S. efforts to re-industrialize and become a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI). Taiwan aims to deepen industrial cooperation with the U.S. and jointly develop “non-red” supply chains — manufacturing networks free from the influence of authoritarian, Communist China.
In response, Chair Westerman said it was an honor to be in Taiwan to deepen an already strong relationship. He emphasized that natural resources — such as energy, minerals, and agricultural products — form the backbone of economic development.
He praised Taiwan’s significant investment in the United States and reaffirmed America’s eagerness to share its agricultural abundance. Westerman expressed hope for deeper collaboration that would fuel mutual economic growth and prosperity.
Sources:
[1] Taiwan’s Presidential Office
[2] Taiwan Today
[3] Focus Taiwan
President Lai Meets U.S. Senator Duckworth, Urges Swift Passage of U.S.-Taiwan Tax Relief Bill
On May 28, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te met with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, reaffirming Taiwan’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the United States to promote shared prosperity and uphold regional peace and stability.
President Lai emphasized that Taiwan has laid out a clear roadmap to further expand bilateral trade ties, including efforts to balance two-way trade by increasing imports of energy, agricultural, and industrial products from the United States.
He urged the U.S. Senate to swiftly pass the U.S.-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act, saying it would benefit both countries by reducing tax barriers to cross-border investments and economic cooperation.
The president expressed heartfelt gratitude to Senator Duckworth and the U.S. Congress for their long-standing bipartisan support for Taiwan. He specifically acknowledged the senator’s visit in 2021 to announce the U.S. donation of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as her active backing of key legislative initiatives in support of Taiwan.
Senator Duckworth, making her fourth visit to Taiwan, said she was honored to return on the first anniversary of President Lai taking office. Her presence, she noted, symbolized the enduring friendship and strategic partnership between the U.S. and Taiwan.
She emphasized that, regardless of who is in the White House or which party holds power in Washington, she has always believed that America must stand by its friends like Taiwan to remain a global leader.
She praised Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and highlighted new opportunities for bilateral collaboration in areas such as semiconductor manufacturing, agriculture, shipbuilding, and healthcare.
She noted that two-way investment would benefit the stability and development of both the U.S. and Taiwan, and reaffirmed her commitment to deepening U.S.-Taiwan relations in the face of global challenges.
Sources:
[1] Taiwan’s Presidential Office
[2] Taiwan Today
AIT Director Greene: U.S.-Taiwan Ties Are Key to Peace
Taiwan-U.S. relations are grounded in strong economic ties and shared values, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said on May 24, emphasizing that strengthening supply chain security in key sectors, enhancing societal resilience through collaboration, and deepening strategic partnerships are essential to ensuring peace and stability for Taiwan in the years ahead.
Greene made the remarks at the National Security Youth Forum in Taipei, organized by the Institute for National Security and Strategy Studies at National Taiwan University.
In his address delivered in Mandarin Chinese, Greene stated that the Taiwan-U.S. relationship has stood the test of time, remaining strong and steadfast through numerous U.S. administrations.
Greene said his priorities as AIT director are security, resilience, and connectivity, and that his recent trip to the U.S. was part of advancing those objectives — particularly by working to further strengthen economic ties between Taiwan and the United States.
Greene said he was honored to attend this year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit during his trip to the U.S. — a major U.S. government initiative to promote foreign direct investment — adding that he was proud to see more than 180 representatives from 130 Taiwanese companies participate.
In addition to visiting Washington, Greene said the AIT organized visits for Taiwanese business delegations to various regions across the United States, tailored to their specific interests in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and drone technologies.
These three industries — AI, semiconductors, and drones — are critically important, as they align with the AIT’s mission to promote security and resilience, and with the U.S. government’s broader vision of making both the U.S. and Taiwan stronger, safer, and more prosperous, he added.
As this year marks the 46th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, Greene said the AIT is confident that sustained efforts to secure supply chains in strategic industries, bolster societal resilience through cooperation, and deepen partnerships through two-way investment will help ensure that the peace maintained over the past 45 years continues for the next 45 years and beyond.
