Virginia State Governor Glenn Youngkin will lead a trade delegation to visit Taipei later this month. He will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and other government and industry leaders. This was announced in a press release on Tuesday.
The trip will be the first trade delegation to Asia on behalf of Virginia. The delegation will also visit Tokyo and Seoul, and the trip will last from April 24 to 29. It will focus on economic development opportunities, shared priorities, and national security.
Youngkin emphasized that Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea are key markets that drive economic growth and prosperity in Virginia. He hopes to strengthen ties and reaffirm US commitments to its partners. Currently, five Taiwanese, 133 Japanese, and 25 Korean businesses are investing in Virginia.
Youngkin, originally a businessman, represented the Republican Party in the 2021 governor election. He unexpectedly defeated popular Democratic Party governor Terry McAuliffe at the time. He has since become an important political figure in the Republican Party.