Illinois on Monday announced that it would set up an office in Taipei this year to bolster bilateral technology, industry and trade ties.
The announcement was made during the Taiwan-Illinois Business Forum in Chicago, attended by Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago Director-General Dennis Lei (類延峰), Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Kristin Richards, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Illinois Chamber of Commerce president Jimmy Clayton, among other officials.
Richards said that Taiwan’s advanced semiconductor and electronics industries have made significant contributions to the global economy and technological progress.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago via CNA
Bilateral trade between Illinois and Taiwan reached US$6 billion last year, with more than 40 Taiwanese companies employing more than 1,300 people in Illinois, she said, adding that the state would establish an office in Taiwan within the year to further enhance bilateral economic and technological ties.
As a global leader in technology and a hub for semiconductor manufacturing, Taiwan serves as a model for Illinois, Mendoza said.
Both are exemplary players in the global supply chain, and Illinois would continue to promote public-private partnerships and enhance cooperation with Taiwan, she said.
Clayton and Joseph Lyu (呂桔誠), chairman of the Taipei-based Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association, signed a memorandum of understanding to explore ways to expand cooperation between Taiwan and Illinois, and promote trade and investment opportunities.
It was the first time the association — which comprises members from Taiwan’s manufacturing, services and high-tech industries — has established an institutionalized partnership with a US state.
Taiwan is an important economic and security partner of the US, and the association would continue to use different platforms for exchange to deepen Taiwan-US economic ties, and expand bilateral investment and industrial cooperation opportunities, Lyu said.
In his opening remarks at the forum, Lei said Taiwan and the US are steadfast partners in security, trade and shared values, with Taiwan playing a key role in the global high-tech supply chain.
Taiwan has risen to become the fourth-largest trading partner of the US, he added.
During the forum, a panel discussed current trends in technological development and strategies to bolster supply chain resilience, with several industry leaders emphasizing the importance of combining Taiwan’s and Illinois’ strengths to enhance overall supply chain efficiency.
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Red Line could begin operations as early as late June, the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems said yesterday. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said it is considering offering one month of free rides on the new section to mark its opening. Construction progress on the 1.4km extension, which is to run from the current terminal Xiangshan Station to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, was 90.6 percent complete by the end of last month, the department said in a report to the Taipei City Council's Transportation Committee. While construction began in October 2016 with an
NON-RED SUPPLY: Boosting the nation’s drone industry is becoming increasingly urgent as China’s UAV dominance could become an issue in a crisis, an analyst said Taiwan’s drone exports to Europe grew 41.7-fold from 2024 to last year, with demand from Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression the most likely driver of growth, a study showed. The Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) in a statement on Wednesday said it found that many of Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) sales were from Poland and the Czech Republic. These countries likely transferred the drones to Ukraine to aid it in its fight against the Russian invasion that started in 2022, it said. Despite the gains, Taiwan is not the dominant drone exporter to these markets, ranking second and fourth
The New Taipei City Art Museum this weekend plans to celebrate its first anniversary with a two-day extravaganza featuring live concerts and a large-scale synchronized fireworks and drone display, the New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Department said. The two-day celebrations are to take place in the museum’s outdoor park, with markets and live performances by singers including Ann Bai (白安), Bii (畢書盡) and the Cosmos People (宇宙人), the department said. The highlight on both evenings would be the "Echoes of Light" show, an aerial spectacle combining fireworks and drone performances designed around the concept of "dual stages in the sky," it
RSS