Hoeven Meets with Taiwan President Tsai, Reaffirms Long-Standing Economic and Defense Relationship

TAIPEI – U.S. Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee and ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, this week met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and National Security Advisor Wellington Koo to reaffirm support for Taiwan. Hoeven outlined the importance of strengthening long-standing economic and defense ties to promote peace and prosperity in the Pacific region.

“Taiwan has been a friend and partner of the United States for decades,” said Hoeven. “This is a relationship that has been built not only on our shared security priorities, but also our close agriculture and economic ties. This comprehensive relationship with Taiwan, and other allies like South Korea, Japan and Australia, is important as we link our democracies and free market economies together to build a regional alliance that promotes security throughout East Asia. As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, I am working to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense, including delivering the weapons systems purchased by Taiwan, and continuing to modernize U.S. nuclear forces. These are our priorities to deter aggression in the region and promote peace and prosperity in the Pacific.”

Specifically, Hoeven discussed:

• Working with democracies in the region like South Korea, Japan and Australia to build a regional alliance founded on security and economic ties.  
• Strengthening Taiwan’s self-defense through foreign military sales, including delivering the $19.5 billion in arms purchased by Taiwan from the United States. 
• Modernizing U.S. nuclear forces to serve as a deterrent to adversaries in the region.

Hoeven, who was invited to visit Taiwan last September at the signing of an agriculture trade agreement, noted his work with Taiwan officials over the past 20 years to build trade relations. As governor of North Dakota, Hoeven organized the state’s first trade mission to Taiwan in 2004. Following that trade mission, Hoeven and Taiwanese officials signed a joint agreement in 2005 committing Taiwan Flour Mills Association to buy 1.7 million metric tons of U.S. wheat worth approximately $372 million. Since then, Hoeven has continually worked to support trade with Taiwan, and most recently signed letters of intent in September 2022 for Taiwan to purchase $3.2 billion in U.S. agriculture products, including U.S. soybeans, corn and wheat. Taiwan has become a strong, reliable trading partner with North Dakota and the United States.  

The senator will also meet with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, officials from the Council of Agriculture, Office of the Trade Negotiator, Ministry of Health & Welfare, and Ministry of National Defense to build ties.

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