TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) welcomed a delegation of US lawmakers from Midwestern states on Wednesday.

Chen hoped the delegation members from Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and North Dakota would explore more opportunities for bilateral cooperation, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said that Taiwan plays a key role in the global high-tech industrial chain and is an ideal regional security partner. 

In recent years, Taiwan and the US have strengthened mutually beneficial economic and trade partnerships, he added.

Dafna Michaelson Jenet, speaker pro tempore of the Colorado State Senate and head of the delegation, said the group values America’s friendship with Taiwan. She praised the fruitful exchanges between Taiwan and Midwestern states and looked forward to expanding cooperation in education, agriculture, and economic and trade relations.

The two sides exchanged views on promoting cooperation in high-tech industries, educational and agricultural exchanges, energy security, and regional developments. The group will be in Taiwan until Nov. 1.