President Lai meets economic and trade delegation led by Texas Governor Greg Abbott
On the morning of July 7, President Lai Ching-te met with an economic and trade delegation led by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In remarks, President Lai thanked the governor for his visit, which demonstrates his affirmation of our shared democratic values. The president indicated that Texan exports to Taiwan amounted to over US$11.5 billion last year, and that Taiwan is now Texas’s ninth-largest export market. During this trip, President Lai said, Governor Abbott will open the State of Texas Taiwan Office and sign an economic development statement of intent (EDSI) with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, which will help create new and limitless opportunities for even stronger collaboration between Taiwanese and United States businesses. The president expressed confidence that the Office will serve as a firm pillar of friendship between Taiwan and Texas and the US, making the Taiwan-US partnership even stronger and deeper.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
I extend a very warm welcome to Governor Abbott and Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott, and all members of this economic and trade delegation to Taiwan. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Governor Abbott for posting a congratulatory message on X (formerly Twitter) immediately after Taiwan’s presidential election in January. This is the first time Governor Abbott is visiting Taiwan since taking office, demonstrating his affirmation of our shared democratic values.
The relationship between Taiwan and Texas – the illustrious Lone Star State – is a deeply rooted one. To date, Taiwanese investments in Texas have already exceeded US$12 billion, spread across numerous industries. In 2022, GlobalWafers announced a multibillion-US-dollar investment to establish a wafer fab in Texas. This was one of the top 10 foreign investment projects in the US that year.
Additionally, last year, Texan exports to Taiwan amounted to over US$11.5 billion. Taiwan is now Texas’s ninth-largest export market.
During this trip, Governor Abbott will open the State of Texas Taiwan Office and sign an EDSI with the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Yours is the 23rd US state to set up an office in Taiwan. I am sure that the Office, along with the EDSI, will help create new and limitless opportunities for even stronger collaboration between Taiwanese and US businesses.
Indeed, right now, Taiwan is going all out to promote its Five Trusted Industry Sectors of semiconductors, AI, military, security and surveillance, and next-generation communications. In these sectors, we can forge connections with the well-developed industrial clusters in Texas.
Besides industrial cooperation, I also want to thank Governor Abbott for supporting academic exchanges.
The Mandarin Center established at the University of St. Thomas in Houston was the first institution of its kind in the southern US. And in 2021, the University of Texas at Austin launched the Center for Taiwan Studies to promote further study and research on Taiwan. This represented another first for the US south.
I also want to thank the Texas legislature for passing a resolution in May last year that conveyed unanimous support for Taiwan. Echoing the Texas state motto, “Friendship,” the resolution reaffirmed the staunch partnership between Taiwan and Texas.
In closing, I once again extend my congratulations on the establishment of the State of Texas Taiwan Office. I believe the Office will serve as a firm pillar of friendship between Taiwan and Texas and the US, making the Taiwan-US partnership even stronger and deeper. I wish Governor Abbott and our distinguished guests a smooth and successful visit.
Governor Abbott then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai very much for his very kind words. Having the president together here with him underscores the importance of the relationship between Taiwan and Texas, the governor said.
He then said he wants President Lai to know that when he and his wife arrived the previous day, and as they visited people, whether it be at the airport or in the city, or at that night’s event, they felt that same sense of welcoming by the people in Taiwan as in Texas, making them feel right at home.
This may be their first visit here, the governor said, but he assured President Lai it will not be their last visit, continuing for the obvious reason that the connection between Texas and Taiwan is so very important to the future of the entire world.
Governor Abbott indicated that the role that Taiwan plays on the global stage is so incredibly important for so many reasons, trade being an obvious one, as well as semiconductors, technology, and innovation. But what Taiwan does, he said, is also so important for world peace and for democracy across the globe, a part of that being, as President Lai had mentioned, academic and intellectual exchanges, like what we see at universities.
Governor Abbott went on to say that trade is important for businesses and for the economy of Taiwan and the US, and also the state of Texas. He said that they are very pleased and honored by the foreign direct investment by Taiwanese businesses into the state of Texas, and that Taiwan businesses have provided more foreign direct investment into Texas than any other state in the US. The investment by Texas businesses in Taiwan is very important, he said. While these foreign direct investments are important for businesses, he emphasized, there’s a larger goal being achieved here, and that is through expanded economic development, which economically strengthens Taiwan, Texas, and the US.
The governor said that strengthened allies across the globe for Taiwan and for the US ensures that we on the global stage will be far more successful at promoting the ideas and the ideology that we all agree upon.
Governor Abbott said they are proud to be opening up the State of Texas Taiwan Office later that day, and that it underscores the importance of our economic relationship.
This is the first time this century that Texas has opened up an office like this in a country other than Mexico, he said, so of all the countries in the entire world, it shows how important Taiwan is to Texas.
Governor Abbott went on to emphasize what businesses from Taiwan know about working in Texas, saying that CEOs in the US have ranked Texas the number one state for doing business for 18 years in a row. He said Texas has also received the award for the most new economic development projects for 11 years in a row. That happens because of several reasons, he said, one being low or no taxes on businesses, and having a very pro-business regulatory environment. But most importantly, he said, they understand that when they partner and support businesses that operate in the state of Texas, they will succeed, and when they succeed, Texas as a state will succeed. Governor Abbott said he will personally be involved with all Taiwan businesses that are either in Texas or looking to come to the state of Texas to ensure that the state will do everything they can to help advance the success of Taiwan businesses in Texas.
Governor Abbott said that this is the continuation of what has already been a very successful relationship, but they want to ensure that they use this opportunity to even more strengthen the relationship that the state of Texas has with Taiwan. He said they look to many more opportunities to continue to connect Texas with Taiwan.
The delegation also included Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson.