February 28, 2023
Dear Governor:
The Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and State regularly receive inquiries about how U.S. state and local governments can conduct outreach to Taiwan. We are writing to address these common questions and explain how expanding your state or municipality’s relationship with Taiwan in areas such as trade, education, investment, and tourism is fully compatible with and supports U.S. policy and can be beneficial to your state or municipality.
Taiwan is the United States’ eighth-largest trading partner and seventh-largest market for agricultural exports. Visitors from Taiwan are eligible for visa-free travel to the United States through the Visa Waiver Program and a streamlined arrivals process at U.S. airports under the Global Entry program. Taiwan is also the sixth-largest source of international students in the United States. State and local governments are well-positioned to deepen U.S. economic and cultural ties with Taiwan in ways that benefit their residents.
For decades, the one China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the three U.S.-China Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances, has enabled the U.S. government’s unofficial relations with Taiwan to flourish, while simultaneously allowing the United States to maintain diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. The U.S. one China policy encourages commercial, cultural, and other engagement with Taiwan.
Our Departments encourage cooperation with Taiwan and stand ready to help state and local governments navigate questions of nomenclature and protocol. We have attached information about the U.S.-Taiwan unofficial relationship as well as contact information for the Department of State office that handles these issues and the American Institute in Taiwan, the private, non-profit corporation established by the TRA to carry out unofficial relations with Taiwan.
Taiwan is a vital U.S. partner and a democratic success story. We hope you will take advantage of all the opportunities that our shared values and robust relationship with Taiwan offer. For questions, please contact the Department of State at eap-tc-office-dl@state.gov.
Sincerely,
Daniel Whitley
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Arun Venkataraman
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets, and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service
Daniel J. Kritenbrink
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Click here to download the letter: Letter on U.S.-Taiwan Relations to Governors
About U.S-Taiwan Relations: US-TWN Relationship Attachment
