More U.S. state offices in Taiwan signify closer ties: Official

Taipei, Nov. 21 (CNA) A senior Taiwanese diplomat in charge of American affairs on Thursday praised the opening of more than a dozen representative offices in Taiwan by U.S. states over the past three years as "a testament to the vitality" of bilateral relations.

Wang Liang-yu (王良玉), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) Department of North American Affairs, said over half of the total 24 American states and territories opened or reopened their offices in Taiwan from 2022 to 2024, during a reception by the American State Offices Association in Taipei.

"That is also a testament of the vitality of our collaboration," she said.

Wang said this year, MOFA welcomed several state government-led trade missions to Taiwan, including three delegations led by the governors of Michigan, Texas and Idaho.

She added that such close interactions "underscore the growing recognition that Taiwan and the United States are ideal partners in fostering a strong, resilient, and mutually beneficial relationship."

"As global supply chains undergo significant restructuring, we are witnessing the steady expansion of Taiwan-U.S. ties," Wang noted.

In 2024, five American states opened representative offices in Taiwan, namely, New York State, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas and Indiana.

From 2022 to 2024, 14 American states opened or reopened offices in Taiwan.

Aside from the five new additions this year, Arizona, Florida, the territory of Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming all have offices in Taipei.

The American State Offices Association was founded in 1985 to facilitate and strengthen bilateral ties between the U.S. and Taiwan, according to its website.