Another destination for direct flights between Taiwan and Texas could be set up, Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said.
Chiang, who is also the president of the Association of Overseas Taiwanese Businessmen at the Legislative Yuan, made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 31st World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce (WTCC) board meeting in Houston on Saturday last week.
Other attendees included Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers Michelle Lin (林楚茵) and Lo Mei-ling (羅美玲), Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Lin Yi-chun (林憶君), Overseas Community Affairs Council Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青), Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大?), US Representative for Texas Al Green, American Institute in Taiwan Washington Office Managing Director Ingrid Larson, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson and WTCC president Kenneth Wu (吳光宜).
Photo courtesy of Chiang’s office
Houston is an important starting point for Taiwanese companies that are developing businesses in Texas, as it is the fourth-largest city and has the second-largest port in the US, Chiang said.
Bilateral ties greatly deepened after the State of Texas Taiwan Office was established last year, with the Texas government and Taiwan signing an Economic Development Statement of Intent, he said.
Taiwan is the third country Texas has signed such a statement with, following the UK and France, Chiang added.
In addition to Houston, another destination for direct flights between Taiwan and Texas could be set up soon, he said, adding that he was happy to see it happen and that he is aware of the challenges facing Taiwanese businesses in the US.
The newly inaugurated US government’s policies change as radically as global geopolitics, which must have been palpable to Taiwanese businesspeople in the US, Chiang said.
However, they must be able to overcome the challenges and seize opportunities to shape the business landscape, he said, expressing his confidence in them.
Chiang also said that he and all attending legislators would provide bipartisan support and improve their service for overseas Taiwanese businesspeople and expatriates.
A Houston City Government official said that March 22 has been declared as the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Day.
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