Indiana Gov. Holcomb becomes the latest U.S. official to visit Taiwan

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb of Indiana on Sunday confirmed that he arrived in Taiwan, becoming the latest US official to visit the self-governing island in the midst of their tensions with China.

“I appreciate the warm welcome to Taiwan from Douglas Hsu, Taiwan Director of North American Affairs,” Holcomb posted on Twitter, also adding a photo of him and Hsu.

Holcomb said in a statement that the “economic development trip” is on the back of “two recent semiconductor industry announcements in Indiana including Taiwan-based MediaTek, as well as the recent signing of the federal CHIPS Act, placing a focus on strengthening Indiana’s technology microelectronics ecosystem.”

According to CNN, Holcomb is scheduled to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday morning, the President’s office spokesperson Chang Tun-Han confirmed. Tun-Han went onto say that the meeting will go into several matters including “economic, trade, technological and cultural collaborations.”

Holcomb’s visit made him the US governor to visit Taiwan since 2019 and the first Indiana governor to travel to the island in 17 years, his office confirmed in a statement.

“The delegation will focus on strengthening Indiana’s economic and academic partnerships and reinforcing the state’s commitment to innovation, as well as committing to working together to build the economy of the future on an international scale,” his office went on to say.

Holocomb will also visit South Korea as part of his trip to Asia. “I couldn’t be more energized to spend this week building new relationships, reinforcing long time ones and strengthening key sector partnerships with Taiwan and South Korea,” Holcomb said. 

“This week marks my second trip to South Korea as governor, and I am also proud to be the first U.S. governor to visit Taiwan since before the COVID-19 pandemic,” he continued. “I’m committed to building an economy of the future with these global partners who are helping propel Indiana forward by creating tomorrow’s businesses, today.”