Taipei, July 21 (CNA) Vice President Annette Lu said Wednesday that Taiwan should widen the scope of its partnership with Washington State beyond the current frequent trade and business links between the two sides.
Lu made the call during a meeting with Seattle Port Commissioner Paige Miller at the Presidential Office.
Lu welcomed Miller and said that exchanges could be enhanced in the areas of biotech and business relations.
According to the vice president, many Taiwan-based biotech companies have set up strongholds in Seattle, laying a sound foundation for bilateral cooperation.
Citing the Bio Taiwan 2004 exhibition currently being held at the Taipei World Trade Center as an example, she said that the largest fair of its kind in Asia is clear proof of Taiwan's biotech clout. Closer cooperation in this field will benefit the two sides, she added.
Furthermore, two-way Taiwan-Washington collaboration should be expanded to other sectors such as tourism, the arts and culture, she said, suggesting that forging cooperative ventures to explore tourist resources on both sides would be feasible.
As a prominent women political leader, she also expressed her hope for bilateral exchanges in recruiting and cultivating female political talent. According to the vice president, Taiwan has a lot to learn from the United States in this regard.
Miller echoed Lu's comments and said she hoped for increased contacts and exchanges between Washington State and Taiwan on a wide range of fronts, including agriculture and the farm industry as well as the financial and aerospace sectors.
Miller is visiting Taiwan in the company of various Washington State senators and Seattle Port Commission officials. The major purpose of her Taiwan trip is to take part in the celebrations to mark the opening of a second direct route between Taiwan and Seattle launched by locally based China Airlines.