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Jun 23, 2026 Major3
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Taiwan Legislative Leader Han Kuo-yu Visits Phoenix, Focuses on Taiwan-US Industrial Cooperation
Taiwan Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu led a bipartisan delegation to Phoenix, Arizona, touring TSMC's manufacturing facility and an AI medical center to advance Taiwan-US industrial cooperation. The visit, coupled with symbolic gestures from Taichung City Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen, sparked speculation about a potential political alliance between the two ahead of Taiwan's 2028 presidential election.





Quick Facts
Who
Han Kuo-yu (Legislative Yuan Speaker)
What
Han Kuo-yu led bipartisan delegation to United States
When
June 21, 2026 (arrival in Phoenix)
Where
Phoenix, Arizona
- Han Kuo-yu led bipartisan delegation to United States
- Delegation toured Taiwan's AI Smart Medical Center in Phoenix
- Visited TSMC Arizona manufacturing facility
- Met with 10+ TSMC supply chain partners
- Discussed talent recruitment, regulatory adaptation, construction costs, and visas
Taiwan's Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu led a bipartisan delegation to the United States, arriving in Phoenix, Arizona on June 21, 2026 as the first stop of his visit. The delegation included seven lawmakers from both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and opposition Kuomintang, plus independent legislators. Han's visit underscored the Legislative Yuan's commitment to strengthening Taiwan-US economic and industrial cooperation.
During his Monday visit, Han toured Taiwan's AI Smart Medical Center in Phoenix's biotech park, which showcases 12 leading Taiwanese AI medical enterprises alongside hospital research units and university partners. Han humorously questioned why companies chose Arizona over Hawaii, before concluding that Phoenix's advantages—abundant land, reliable water and electricity, efficient bureaucracy, cooperative universities, and dedicated foreign investment officials—made the location compelling. He used a creative metaphor, likening Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and the medical center to "a drop of butter" that attracts other Taiwanese industries to Phoenix like ants to honey.
Later that day, Han's delegation visited TSMC's Arizona facility, meeting with over ten TSMC supply chain partners to discuss investment challenges including talent recruitment, regulatory adaptation, construction costs, and visa applications. Lawmakers pledged to work with US counterparts to remove investment obstacles. The delegation then met with TSMC Arizona's Chief Executive Officer Chiang Jui-ping to discuss fab planning, talent development, and technology strategy. Chiang emphasized that TSMC's US investment responds to customer demand while advanced processes and core R&D remain based in Taiwan.
Back in Taiwan, these developments sparked political speculation. Taichung City Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen, considered a leading contender for Taiwan's 2028 presidential election alongside Han, made symbolic gestures interpreted as signaling a potential alliance. Lu sent flowers on Han's birthday and dispatched Vice Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin to see Han off at Taichung airport—moves observers characterized as the "Lu-Han alliance" taking concrete form. When asked, Lu neither confirmed nor denied the alliance but emphasized that Han's visit strengthens Taiwan-US ties and highlighted that semiconductors, aerospace, and optics—industries Han would examine—are Taichung specialties that stand to benefit from enhanced legislative foreign exchange.
Why This Matters
Han's delegation visit signals Taiwan's strategic pivot toward deepening semiconductor and biotech ties with the US, particularly in Arizona—a region increasingly critical to global chip supply chains. For investors and policymakers, this underscores Taiwan's legislative commitment to removing investment barriers and expanding industrial presence abroad. Domestically, the "Lu-Han alliance" speculation hints at potential realignment in Taiwan's 2028 presidential race, affecting regional stability and cross-strait relations.
Timeline & Sources
Jun 21, 2026
WireHan Kuo-yu leads bipartisan delegation and departs Taiwan for United States; arrives in Phoenix, Arizona
Jun 22, 2026
WireDelegation tours Taiwan's AI Smart Medical Center in Phoenix; visits TSMC Arizona facility and meets with supply chain partners and CEO Chiang Jui-ping
Jun 23, 2026
WireNews reports published about Han's visit and speculation of 'Lu-Han alliance' regarding 2028 presidential election