Foreign Minister Lin highlights increase in U.S. state engagement

Taipei, Nov. 24 (CNA) Taiwan has seen a significant increase in engagement from U.S. state governments, with more representative offices opening in Taiwan and a growing number of trade missions visiting the country, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Monday.

During a reception hosted by the American State Offices Association (ASOA) in Taipei, Lin noted that there were currently 26 U.S. state and territorial offices in Taiwan, over half of which opened or reopened in the last three years.

Among these, three -- Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Idaho -- opened this year, Lin said.

"This trend reflects the building momentum behind our engagement with American state governments," Lin said.

Aside from the opening of trade offices, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also welcomed several state government trade missions to Taiwan this year, including governor-led delegations from Arizona, Alaska, Wyoming, Tennessee and North Carolina, as well as one from the unincorporated U.S. territory of Guam, Lin noted.

Speaking during the same event, Karin M. Lang, deputy director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said 2025 had been a "remarkable year" for U.S.-Taiwan commercial ties.

"We have seen record high [Taiwanese] investment announcements totaling over US$100 billion U.S. dollars, and more than 20 states sent delegations to Taiwan to explore business and investment opportunities," Lang said.

She also reiterated the U.S.' support for Taiwan's efforts to establish a science and technology park in the United States, saying that the move "will help bring more Taiwanese suppliers into the U.S. market and reinforce Taiwan's vital role in global supply chains."

According to National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文), U.S. officials that he spoke to on the sidelines of the APEC Ministerial Meeting in South Korea last month were receptive to such an idea.