On May 4th, the Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Li Zhiqiang, was invited to visit Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania. During the visit, Li met with Joanna McClinton, the Speaker of the State House, and delivered a speech to 203 state representatives, highlighting the prospects of the Taiwan-Pennsylvania partnership.
Director Li warmly expressed that since assuming office in 2024, he has visited all corners of Pennsylvania, enjoying local cuisine with the people and getting excited together during sports events. Pennsylvania, with its beautiful and affluent land, resembling a paradise on earth, possesses rich historical and cultural heritage as well as natural resources, which should attract more Taiwanese to come and experience.
Li Zhiqiang mentioned that 250 years ago, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was where the Declaration of Independence was signed, symbolizing the United States’ commitment to democracy as a beacon of liberty in the world. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s direct presidential elections, which is not only a significant milestone in Taiwan’s democratization but also resonates with the firm belief in safeguarding democratic and freedom values shared by Taiwan and the United States.
In terms of trade and economics, this year saw the signing of the Taiwan-U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement (ART) to reduce reciprocal tariffs. Pennsylvania is a major producer of agricultural products such as mushrooms and dairy, which will benefit from this agreement. Moreover, Pittsburgh’s robotics research capabilities and industrial clusters are among the best in the world, where Taiwanese manufacturers can provide customized robot components and process equipment, creating a complementary relationship. In April this year, two Taiwanese industry groups participated in the SelectUSA Summit hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, visiting Pittsburgh’s robotics industry cluster and Philadelphia’s biotech ecosystem, looking forward to the prosperous development of the Taiwan-Pennsylvania partnership.
On the educational front, Taiwanese universities have established teaching collaborations with Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh through Mandarin language teaching programs and intercollegiate cooperation agreements. In addition to Mandarin teaching, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York actively encourages the development of talent alliances in key technological fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and robotics between Taiwan and Pennsylvania, hoping to further promote a systematic educational cooperation framework between the two.
Li Zhiqiang expressed gratitude for the Pennsylvania State Legislature’s annual passage of resolutions supporting the deepening of Taiwan-Pennsylvania relations, emphasizing that both sides are allies in democratic values, and their cooperative relationship is becoming increasingly close.
After the speech, Director Li, along with Hsu Yafei, President of the Pittsburgh Taiwanese Association, received traditional lunar new year cards from the Taiwan Caucus at the Pennsylvania State House. Co-chairs of the Taiwan Caucus and State Representatives Jennifer O’Mara, Melissa Shusterman, David Rowe, Jamie Flick, as well as State Senator Tracy Pennycuick, were also in attendance to offer their congratulations. Several other lawmakers approached and expressed their commitment to further enhancing bilateral relations between Taiwan and Pennsylvania.