TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) met with a visiting US-Taiwan Business Council delegation, led by USTBC President Rupert Hammond-Chambers, on Tuesday.

Hsiao thanked the group for their support of Taiwan. She highlighted initiatives such as the US-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue and progress on a double taxation avoidance agreement, according to the Presidential Office. Once a deal is finalized, it would enable fair competition for businesses in the US and Taiwan markets, she said.

The vice president outlined Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) proposed five trusted industry sectors, which include semiconductors, artificial intelligence, defense industries, security systems, and next-generation communications. She said last year saw significant progress in bilateral relations, as evidenced by the increase in Taiwanese investment in the US. Hsiao hoped for deeper cooperation as the path to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Hsiao reiterated the goal of building a balanced Taiwan, which involves developing international technological capabilities that support traditional small and medium-sized enterprises.

A USTBC delegation visited Taiwan last January, led by Keith Krach, the former US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment.