Taiwan and Kansas sign trade MOU
‘NEW CHAPTER’: The MOU would pave the way for mutually beneficial initiatives, and marks the beginning of a stronger and more resilient partnership, officials said
By Sam Garcia and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writers, with CNA
Taiwan and Kansas earlier this month signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on trade, agreeing to deepen cooperation in aerospace, aviation, advanced air mobility, biomedicine, animal health, precision agriculture and delivery services.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Denver Director-General Debby Huang (黃虹慧) and Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland signed the MOU at the Kansas State Capitol.
Toland led a delegation to Taiwan in May, exchanging views with Taiwanese officials on deepening cooperation in investment, advanced technology, education and talent cultivation.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Denver Director-General Debby Huang, left, and Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland hold copies of a memorandum of understanding at the Kansas State Capitol earlier this month.
Photo: CNA
In March, Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大?) visited Kansas to witness the state’s legislature pass a pro-Taiwan resolution and received a warm welcome from Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, Huang said.
The MOU opens a new chapter in cooperation and would pave the way for mutually beneficial initiatives, she said.
Taiwan and Kansas share values of democracy, freedom and business, Toland said, adding that Taiwan has long been an important and trusted trading partner.
The signing of the MOU marks the beginning of a stronger and more resilient partnership, with both sides set to deepen cooperation, he said.
Meanwhile, the University of North Georgia yesterday announced it would establish a center for Taiwan studies to deepen Taiwan-US cooperation in international relations, defense education and Indo-Pacific security, TECO Atlanta said in a statement.
The university partnered with TECO Atlanta to host the Securing Taiwan Symposium yesterday, which focused on deterrence, partnership and the future of the Indo-Pacific region.
The new center would foster leaders with international perspectives who understand Taiwan’s regional security issues through academic exchanges, policy dialogue and cooperation in education, TECO Atlanta Director-General Jared Lin (林主恩) said, calling it a milestone in bilateral cooperation.
Taiwan is a key link in global semiconductor and high-tech supply chains, making stability across the Taiwan Strait vital to international trade, economic security, and the interests of the US and its allies, Lin said, adding that the nation’s security is tied to global stability and prosperity.
Safeguarding that peace requires more than just military strength — it takes strong partnerships, economic resilience, shared democratic values and deeper Taiwan-US cooperation across sectors, he said.
The university is a key US institution for military education and has helped train many Taiwanese military cadets.
Separately, next year’s Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) events in Taiwan are to focus on maritime resilience, disaster prevention, supply chains and artificial intelligence (AI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The ministry said it jointly held a GCTF committee meeting in Taipei yesterday with the American Institute in Taiwan, the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, the Australian Office Taipei, the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei and the British Office Taipei.
During the meeting, which was chaired by the Australian office, they reviewed the results of this year’s GCTF activities and discussed plans for next year’s domestic and overseas franchise events, the ministry said.
The domestic events would focus on issues including maritime resilience and security coordination; global disaster resilience and multilateral training; supply chains and emergent technologies; and opportunities, safety and regulation for AI, it said.
The participants also exchanged views on expanding the participation of other countries, strengthening the practical application of event outcomes and deepening cooperation to boost the framework’s effectiveness, it added.
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