President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) met with Michigan State Governor Gretchen Whitmer and her delegation at the Presidential Office on Tuesday. Whitmer announced on Monday that her state will open an office in Taiwan which she hopes will further strengthen economic and cultural ties between the two sides.
Whitmer is the first sitting governor of Michigan to visit Taiwan during her tenure and this trip marks her second visit to Taiwan in six months. She last visited in September last year.
During the meeting, President Tsai thanked Governor Whitmer for her support for Taiwan, and for seeking more opportunities for cooperation. Tsai says she hopes Taiwan and Michigan can continue to promote bilateral exchanges of talents and technology in the future. She added that areas for cooperation include Michigan's automotive industry, semiconductors and microelectronics research, and Taiwan's electric vehicle semiconductor supply chain.
Whitmer also pointed out that deepening trade, corporate investments, and two-way student exchanges have strengthened the relationship between Taiwan and the United States.
Last year, Taiwan and Michigan signed a bilateral memorandum of cooperation in economic and trade affairs, strengthening cooperation in fields such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence.