Two members of the US Congress wrote a letter to US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on Wednesday last week encouraging her to personally visit Taiwan on her upcoming trade visit to Asia.
The letter, signed by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Andy Ogles, said the visit would promote Taiwan’s purchase of more US agricultural goods and cement the friendship between the two nations.
On March 28, Rollins announced detailed plans for high-level trade visits to Asia, South America, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The letter called for Rollins to “consider personally including it [Taiwan] in [her] travel plans.”
As the US’ seventh-largest trading partner and 14th overall richest country in the world as of last year, Taiwan is “an ideal market for increased US farm exports,” the letter said.
Taiwan already buys large amounts of US wheat, soybeans and corn, and has shown interest in expanding US agricultural purchases further, it said.
As such, Tiffany and Ogles “believe including Taiwan in [Rollins’] travel itinerary would help maximize the benefits the Taiwanese market holds for US farmers and ranchers,” they wrote.
The letter further outlines the Taiwan Relations Act and Taiwan Travel Act as cornerstones of US-Taiwan cooperation, which encourage “high-level meetings between senior US and Taiwanese officials.”
Such a visit would demonstrate the US’ and Taiwan’s “shared commitment to prosperity and security,” the letter said.
“A bilateral meeting with counterparts in Taiwan would help cement this friendship while maximizing tangible benefits for America’s hardworking farm families,” it said.
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