Virginia Governor Leads Delegation to Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in Smithfield, Va., on Oct. 27, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will lead an international trade delegation to Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea at the end of April to strengthen economic and cultural ties.

As part of the mission, Youngkin plans to meet with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, other government leaders, strategic business associations, company executives, and industry leaders, his office said.

“I’m excited to represent the Commonwealth in my first trade mission to Asia that will focus on economic development opportunities, our shared priorities, and national security,” said Youngkin.

“Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea represent critical markets that will advance economic growth and prosperity in Virginia. In strengthening these relationships, we are not only reaffirming our commitment to our allies but also strengthening the spirit of Virginia and America.”

Youngkin’s trip to Taiwan will likely put China on alert because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) considers Taiwan a territory and views these types of meetings between U.S. and Taiwanese leaders as an affront to its claim over the island nation.

Youngkin considers communist China as an aggressor and earlier this year banned the Chinese-owned app TikTok from government devices, pulled out of negotiations for a China-backed Ford Motor Co. electric vehicle battery plant, and signed a bill to ban the sale of farmland to foreign adversaries, including China.

The farmland bill, SB 1438, was passed in February by the Virginia House with a 67–30 vote a week after the Senate passed it on a 23–16 vote.

Taiwan’s representative to the United States, Hsiao Bi-khim, praised the Virginia Assembly for its resounding support for a bill that directs the state’s Economic Development Partnership Authority to conduct a cost-benefit analysis for opening a Virginia–Taiwan Trade office.

“Touched and thankful to learn of the bipartisan Virginia General Assembly House vote today, 99-0, supporting an analysis to open a Trade Office in Taiwan. I believe such an office will add momentum to deepening trade and economic ties,” Bi-khim wrote in a February Twitter post.

Governor Takes on Foreign Policy

Youngkin said Taiwan is strategically important for its allies and adversaries, especially the Chinese regime.

“Let’s be clear. It’s [China] using their economic might in order to project their will around the world. And it is not just saber-rattling, but they’re building a land bridge to Taiwan, and Taiwan’s future is hugely strategic,” said Youngkin during a February interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box.

The governor also stressed decoupling from China to ensure the United States and Virginia can guarantee supply chains for important consumer goods.

“It needs to change in the sense that there are select industries that we must be proactive and making sure we have trusted supply chains,” Youngkin said.

Besides Taipei, the delegation will make stops in Tokyo and in Seoul, South Korea, during the weeklong trip from April 24–29, said the governor’s office.

Virginia is home to many foreign-owned business establishments, including five from Taiwan, 133 from Japan, and 25 from South Korea, according to Youngkin’s office.

Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of US–Taiwan Business Council, told The Epoch Times that the trip to Taiwan will give the governor the opportunity to expand trade and connect directly with Taiwan’s “technology ecosystem.”

Hammond-Chambers also said the mission will give Youngkin the occasion to be “presidential.”

“By traveling to the island Governor Youngkin can elaborate on how he feels about semiconductor cooperation; China’s aggressive military posture; and the importance of democracy in creating stable and friendly states,” he said in an emailed statement.