The opening of a trade office and the signing of a cooperation pact would make the Taiwan-Virginia partnership stronger, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said yesterday as he concluded a two-day visit to Taiwan.
Youngkin on Monday announced that he had approved the establishment of a Virginia trade office in Taiwan and yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on economic and trade cooperation with the nation.
Speaking at a press event after the signing, Youngkin said the moves “will build on an already strong relationship.”
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
“And I have very high aspirations that Virginia and Taiwan will have a great future, both economically and in partnership going forward,” he said.
Asked about his first international trade mission since taking office as governor in January — two days in Taiwan before visits to Japan and South Korea — Youngkin said it “could not begin in a more appropriate place.”
He said the aim of traveling to the three Asian destinations was to bolster cooperation with “trusted partners” in supply chains in key industries, such as semiconductors, pharmaceutical manufacturing, automotive supplies, and electric vehicle batteries and storage.
“These are critical supply chains for our collective future, and ones that I believe we must continue to forge with trusted partners. That’s why I’m here,” he said.
Youngkin signed the MOU with Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-chyi (陳正祺) at a ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Taipei that Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) also attended.
Tien said that Virginia is Taiwan’s 10th-largest source of imports and ninth-largest export market among the US’ 50 states.
The MOU would help to foster even more opportunities for both sides, he said.
Chen praised Virginia as a home to engineering talent with a strong workforce and sound education system.
The MOU would be the starting point to further reinforce cooperation of the fields of economic and trade, and open a new chapter in Taiwan-Virginia relations, he said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS