Taipei, July 10 (CNA) Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego on Monday called for opening direct flights between her city and Taiwan and appealed for more Taiwanese investment in the Phoenix area during a meeting with Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) in Taipei.
Gallego said her last visit to Taiwan was in October 2019 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of forming sister state relations with Taipei and that her city had been working to enhance bilateral ties with Taiwan since then.
Its biggest success was drawing investment of US$40 billion by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in December 2022 to build two advanced semiconductor fabs in north Phoenix, the mayor said.
But even after securing the TSMC project, which represents the biggest foreign direct investment ever in Arizona, the city government has continued to welcome other Taiwanese companies to Phoenix, Gallego said.
To make two-way travel easier for such relations to thrive, the mayor said she is hoping to add “air service to Taipei and the city of Phoenix.”
Currently there are no direct flights between Taiwan’s main international gateway, Taoyuan International Airport, and Phoenix. Most passengers from Taiwan usually fly first to San Francisco or Los Angeles and then take a connecting flight to Phoenix.
Asked to comment on Gallego’s proposal, neither of Taiwan’s two biggest airlines — China Airlines and EVA Airways — answered directly, saying only that they will continue to evaluate whether to open new routes based on the needs of the market and customers.
Meanwhile, Premier Chen thanked Gallego for her support of Taiwanese investment in her city, and described those efforts as “the finest example of Taiwan-U.S. supply chain cooperation.”
Chen also lauded the close bilateral economic and military ties between Arizona and Taiwan, noting that Taiwan is Arizona’s ninth largest export market and that Luke Air Force Base in the state has been a training ground for Taiwanese F-16 fighter pilots for decades.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which would not comment Sunday on Gallego’s visit, said Monday her delegation arrived in Taiwan late Saturday and will leave on Tuesday.
Their visit to Taipei is part of a larger visit in Asia that will also take them to Japan and South Korea, where she and her delegation are also seeking partnership opportunities with tech companies and pushing for direct flights, according to Arizona media.
Gallego was cited by the Arizona Republic as saying that the trip will “expand Phoenix’s global presence and foster meaningful partnerships with cities around the world.”
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