TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Friday (Oct. 20) told New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy she welcomed the state’s decision to set up an Asia Pacific trade office in Taiwan.

The governor pointed out that the two sides had first signed a friendship agreement 35 years ago, which had been extended by the state assembly this year, per CNA. New Jersey was home to the fourth largest Taiwanese community in the United States, while bilateral trade brought US$4 billion (NT$129 billion) per year in revenue, he added.

Murphy said he was proud to be the first serving New Jersey governor to visit Taiwan, emphasizing that both sides valued education, economic innovation, and the development of talent. The new office in Taipei was New Jersey’s first economic and trade center for the Asia Pacific, he said, adding it could expand its work beyond Taiwan to other parts of the region.

During his Oct. 19-22 stay, Murphy was scheduled to sign several memorandums of understanding and exchange views with academics and business leaders, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement.