Taiwan opens 14th representative office in Phoenix — South China Morning Post
During a visit by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung to Phoenix, United States, Taiwan is officially opening the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, its 14th representative office in the United States. The minister arrived in the city late Saturday evening for a three-day trip. This was reported by the South China Morning Post.
In a statement by Taiwan’s authorities, the opening of the office in Phoenix was described as a new stage in the economic and trade partnership between Taiwan and the United States. The institution is to provide services to Taiwanese companies and expatriates, as well as promote cooperation with Arizona and New Mexico in trade, culture, education and supply chains.
Visit program
Lin Chia-lung is expected to meet Taiwanese investors and representatives of the Taiwanese community, as well as Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. The program includes the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Arizona Commerce Authority and Taiwan’s National Association of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Ingrid Larson, managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan, arrived from Washington to accompany the minister during the trip. A visit to a Taiwanese exhibition center dedicated to artificial intelligence and biomedicine is also planned.
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TSMC’s role in Phoenix
Phoenix has become a hub for the expansion of Taiwan’s TSMC, which is building a cluster of chip manufacturing plants in Arizona. The company’s first plant began mass production in late 2024. The second plant has been completed, with operations scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027; the third is still under construction.
According to TSMC, about 3,000 of its employees work in Phoenix, including hundreds of workers from Taiwan. After the second and third plants are commissioned, the company plans to increase its workforce to approximately 6,000 people. SCMP notes that the new representative office is expected to serve companies and families that relocated to Phoenix in connection with TSMC’s expansion.
Lin Chia-lung’s trip comes less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington. According to the publication, the minister does not plan to visit Washington or meet with US State Department representatives.
