US to bolster innovation ties: delegation

TSMC MEETING:
The US lawmakers said the visit is not meant to provoke China, but to deepen cooperation in economic and political matters, as cross-party talks are planned

The US and Taiwan should increase cooperation in manufacturing and innovation to benefit the world, a visiting US delegation said after meeting with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀) yesterday.

US representatives Ro Khanna, Jake Auchincloss, Jonathan Jackson and Tony Gonzales arrived in Taiwan on Sunday and are scheduled to depart on Thursday.

The delegation also met with Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫?) at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday.

From left, US representatives Jonathan Jackson, Jake Auchincloss and Ro Khanna pose for a photograph with Legislative Speaker You Si-kun, center, and other officials at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday.

Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

Khanna, whose California district includes Silicon Valley, said at the legislature that he was honored to meet with Chang.

Visiting Taiwan is consistent with US President Joe Biden’s foreign policy and “in no way provocative of China,” Khanna said.

The US recognizes the importance of the relationship with Taiwan and is seeking peace in the region, he said.

The delegation plans to hold talks with legislators across the political spectrum during the visit with the intent of deepening economic and political cooperation, he said.

Khanna also mentioned that former US president Jimmy Carter, who over the weekend began to receive end-of-life hospice care, signed the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979.

Carter visited Taiwan in 1999, saying at the time that “Taiwan has made itself a model for many other countries by its development.”

You thanked the US delegation for its country’s continued support for Taiwan, adding that the US is an essential trade partner and a pillar of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

He thanked Khanna and other members of the US Congress for proposing to establish a “US-Taiwan Infectious Disease Monitoring Center” by introducing the US-Taiwan Public Health Protection Act in 2021.

The bill has been incorporated into the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which was passed at the end of last year.

Khanna and Auchincloss signed a petition to support Taiwan’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework last year, You said.

Democratic allies must work together to ensure peace, stability and development around the world, You said, adding that he looks forward to further cooperation between Taiwan and the US.

Separately, Gonzales and US Representative Mikie Sherrill introduced the US-Taiwan Advanced Research Partnership Act “in response to an increased number of cyberattacks against the US and our allies,” Gonzales wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

The bill is “to strengthen Taiwanese and US homeland security, and bolster cybersecurity,” he said.

Gonzales, a former navy cryptologist, visited Taiwan in 2021 with a delegation led by US Senator John Cornyn.

Sherrill, who also has a naval background, signed the petition for the Taiwan Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, which would authorize the expedited lending or leasing of defense equipment to Taiwan, and has voiced support for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly.