President Tsai meets New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
On the morning of October 20, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation led by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. In remarks, President Tsai said that we are glad to see that New Jersey has chosen to open an Asia-Pacific economic cooperation office in Taiwan and that she believes this will help us continue to elevate our bilateral trade relations. The president expressed hope that Taiwan and New Jersey will expand collaboration in such areas as information and communications technology, healthcare, biotechnology, and green energy, working together to build stable and secure global supply chains and to create an even closer bilateral partnership.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
I recall meeting Governor Murphy, his wife Tammy Snyder Murphy, and State Assemblywoman Ellen Park at a banquet held in New York when I transited through the United States this March. I am delighted to be able to meet you once again and warmly welcome you in return.
Governor Murphy, having previously visited Taiwan when you were in the private sector, and today visiting in your current capacity, you have shown support for Taiwan through your actions. For this, I would like to express my sincere gratitude on behalf of the people of Taiwan.
New Jersey is a hub in the US for such critical industries as biotechnology and telecommunications technology. It is also an important gateway to the US East Coast market. Many Taiwanese businesses have made New Jersey a focus of their investment and expansion. And we are glad to see that New Jersey has chosen to open an Asia-Pacific economic cooperation office here in Taiwan. I believe this will help us continue to elevate our bilateral trade relations.
Your policies for an innovation economy and focus on infrastructure in New Jersey align well with Taiwan's 5+2 innovative industries plan and Six Core Strategic Industries policy. We hope to expand collaboration between Taiwan and New Jersey in such areas as information and communications technology, healthcare, biotechnology, and green energy, working together to build stable and secure global supply chains.
I would also like to thank Governor Murphy for inviting Representative to the US Bi-khim Hsiao (蕭美琴) to participate in the National Governors Association's 2023 Annual Meeting in July. This helped create more opportunities for Taiwan to conduct exchanges and cooperate with US states. I also want to thank the US House of Representatives and New Jersey's Senate and General Assembly for passing resolutions this year backing Taiwan's international participation and cooperation with the global democratic community.
Moving forward, let us work together to create an even closer partnership between Taiwan and New Jersey. In the meantime, I wish you all a pleasant and successful trip.
Governor Murphy then delivered remarks, a transcript of which follows:
President Tsai, thank you for so graciously hosting our delegation here in your office. On behalf of my wife and I, it is so good to be back in Taiwan. And on behalf of the entire delegation, we thank you again for hosting us so graciously. And to your distinguished delegation, it's an honor to be with you as well. It is wonderful to see you again, Madam President, last time in New York City, and this time in Taiwan. We are thrilled to be with you.
And frankly, I cannot think of a better moment for the two of us to be in close touch. We think by working together we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity for both Taiwan and for New Jersey. In one respect, New Jersey and Taiwan go way back. We have a sister state agreement that goes back – I think – 35 years that our state legislature just re-ratified this year.
And we are close both in our society and in our economy. As you know, Madam President, New Jersey has the fourth-largest Taiwanese population of any American state. And Taiwanese students account for a big percentage of the students who study in New Jersey. And our mutually beneficial trade relationship generates more than US$4 billion a year. So we had hoped to be here three years ago, but the pandemic intervened, but I am still proud to say that I am the first sitting governor of New Jersey to visit Taiwan.
And we have so much in common beyond the very significant Taiwanese community. We're small geographically, but we both punch way above our weight. We are both steeped in the innovation economy. We both care deeply about educated talent. We have locations that are second to none. So for all those reasons and many more, I believe, Madam President, that there is limitless potential between Taiwan and New Jersey working together to build a bright future for all families.
And you mentioned pharmaceuticals, life sciences, tech, telecoms, the green economy, to name just a few sectors of enormous opportunity for both of us. And it is exactly for those reasons, as you already alluded to, that I am thrilled to announce that Choose New Jersey will soon be opening its first-ever Asia Pacific office right here in Taipei. And I think, Madam President, it will take our longstanding relationship between Taiwan and New Jersey to new heights, [and] will strengthen both the economic and cultural ties that have bound our peoples together for decades. And I think as a result, [it] will create new opportunities for our workers and families both back in New Jersey and right here in Taiwan.
And we are going to work together in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific and importantly, planting a flag in Taipei, not just for Taipei or Taiwan but to use this as our base for all of Asia.
So, Madam President, on behalf of my wife, our delegation, and all 9.3 million members of our New Jersey family, we say thank you.
Also in attendance at the meeting were Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Tim Sullivan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Choose New Jersey Wesley Mathews, State Assemblywoman Park, and New Jersey Institute of Technology President Teik Lim.