TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs met with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday to discuss strengthening Taiwan-Arizona economic cooperation.
Lai received Hobbs and her delegation at the Presidential Office in the afternoon. The president pointed out that since Hobbs took office in 2023, she has visited Taiwan twice, demonstrating her strong commitment to bilateral ties.
Lai said Taiwan-Arizona relations have made significant progress in recent years with TSMC’s investment in Arizona the largest foreign direct greenfield investment in US history. He noted that this month, TSMC announced an additional NT$3.3 trillion (US$100 billion) investment, with plans to expand chip production and R&D facilities in the Greater Phoenix area, further solidifying Arizona’s position as a key semiconductor hub in the US.
The president said that over 30,000 Taiwanese expatriates reside in Arizona and thanked Hobbs for supporting Taiwanese businesses and the local Taiwanese community. He expressed confidence that through joint efforts, Arizona could become a model for Taiwan-US high-tech collaboration and develop a China-free supply chain.
Lai emphasized that one of the next key objectives for Taiwan and the US is to sign an avoidance of double taxation agreement, hoping both sides will work to get a deal done. He said a tax agreement would encourage more Taiwanese investment in the US, facilitate a more robust industrial ecosystem, and create more jobs.
Hobbs praised Taiwan’s continued growth as a global center for technology, innovation, and advanced manufacturing under Lai’s leadership. She said Arizona and Taiwan have a solid foundation built by TSMC’s presence and collaborations with many Taiwanese companies in chips and other industries.
The governor said the two sides cooperate in many other areas including science and technology, human resources development, and cultural exchanges. She announced that Arizona will soon welcome its first Din Tai Fung restaurant, which she is personally looking forward to.
Hobbs also invited Lai to visit Arizona to continue the productive bilateral dialogue and further strengthen people-to-people and economic ties. She expressed confidence in the limitless potential of Taiwan-Arizona cooperation and looked forward to future developments.
