On the evening of June 21, a cross-party delegation of legislators, led by Legislative Yuan President Daniel K.Y. Han (韓國瑜), arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, with the parliamentary diplomacy visit to the United States officially commencing on June 22. The delegation chose Phoenix as its first stop in order to learn about the investment and industrial deployment by Taiwanese companies in the U.S. and to demonstrate the Legislative Yuan’s deep commitment to promoting economic and trade exchanges and industrial collaboration between Taiwan and the U.S.
In the company of Jason Poyuan Ma, Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Los Angeles, the delegation visited the Taiwan AI Smart Health Showcase Center in the morning. The center is an important platform that showcases Taiwan’s strengths in artificial intelligence (AI) and biomedicine. Bringing together 12 leading Taiwanese AI medical enterprises, a hospital sleep center, and two university research units, the center demonstrates Taiwan’s research and development (R&D) capabilities in AI, precision health, innovative medical devices, and telemedicine.
Upon the delegation’s arrival, welcome remarks were delivered by Phoenix Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington, Vice President for International Trade and Investment at the Arizona Commerce Authority Agnese Sturmane, and Executive Vice President of ASU Health Sherine Gabriel. Briefings were also given on how the Arizona state government, the City of Phoenix, and Arizona State University collaborate across government, industry, and academia with Taiwan to jointly drive innovation in the biomedical and healthcare sectors.
In his remarks, President Han noted that prior to visiting Arizona, many wondered why TSMC and the Taiwan AI Smart Health Showcase Center chose to locate in Phoenix. After the briefings, he recognized that beyond essential resources such as land, water, and power, Phoenix’s most compelling advantage is the strong collaborative partnership between government, academia, and industry.
Subsequently, Jean Yang, Vice Chair of the Hsinchu Medical Instruments Commercial Association, briefed the delegation on the center’s background, strategic partners, and resident companies, while also highlighting various innovative biomedical products and R&D achievements. Vice Chair Yang also led the delegation on a tour around the center, introducing its technological applications and operations, which stand as a testament to the fruitful collaboration between Taiwan and the U.S. in the field of smart healthcare.
At noon, the Legislative Yuan hosted a luncheon for representatives of Taiwanese businesses and overseas Taiwanese communities. In his address, President Han expressed that it was a great honor to lead the cross-party delegation to Phoenix to gain first-hand insight into the city’s investment climate, growth potential, and the current state of Taiwan-U.S. industrial cooperation. President Han also extended his gratitude to the overseas compatriots for their years of hard work abroad, comparing them to seeds that have taken root, grown, and borne fruit in a foreign land. He warmly remarked that “the Sun Never Sets on Taiwanese Businesses and Communities,” commending them for their enduring ties to their homeland and their contributions to fostering Taiwan-U.S. exchanges. He stressed that the Legislative Yuan would always stand shoulder to shoulder with overseas Taiwanese and looked forward to the opportunity to welcome them to the Legislative Yuan in the future. The luncheon, attended by more than 90 Taiwanese business representatives and overseas compatriots, lasted about 90 minutes in a warm and cordial atmosphere.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited TSMC Arizona. Upon arrival, they first had a round-table discussion with representatives from over a dozen TSMC supply chain vendors that have invested in the U.S., learning about their experiences in plant construction and operations, as well as exchanging views on issues such as talent recruitment, regulatory compliance, construction costs, and visa applications. The attending legislators expressed deep concern regarding the challenges faced by Taiwanese businesses investing in the U.S. In addition to attentively listening to the vendors’ insights, they pledged to raise these matters with relevant U.S. authorities when appropriate, helping to remove investment barriers and further promote Taiwan-U.S. industrial cooperation.
The delegation then met with CEO of TSMC Arizona, Ray Chuang, and his team to learn about the company’s fab construction plans in Arizona. They also engaged in an in-depth discussion on key issues, including talent cultivation, technology and production capacity, and the impact of investing in the U.S. on Taiwan’s industrial development.
CEO Chuang stated that TSMC’s investment in the U.S. is primarily driven by customer demand, affirming that the most advanced manufacturing processes and core R&D will stay anchored in Taiwan. He mentioned that TSMC will continue to strengthen its three core competitive advantages—“Technology Leadership, Manufacturing Excellence, and Customer Trust”—while working with supply chain partners to jointly elevate their industrial competitiveness. Finally, the delegation toured the fab complex to observe the progress of its construction. The TSMC Arizona tour brought day one of the visit to a successful close. (2026/06/22)
