The Houston-Taipei Sister City relationship, nearing its 65th anniversary, is characterized by close educational exchanges and economic partnerships, demonstrating the value Sister City friendships can bring to local and state economies.
Houston and Taipei, each other's first sister cities since 1961, have worked together to build impactful avenues for collaboration. There has been a particular focus on educational exchange and raising human capital in pursuit of a sustainable and long-lasting partnership. The two cities share frequent exchange, with officials from both sides sharing dialogue and attending events like Houston's celebration of Taiwan’s “Double 10” National Day and the Houston Rodeo. Organizations such as the Houston-Taiwan Society (HTS) and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston (TECO) have overseen and facilitated much of this exchange. HTS promotes educational and economic partnerships supporting a city-wide initiative to increase connectivity between its sister city relationships and raise Houstonian interest in partners around the globe. HTS has supported development agreements, including a landmark educational cooperation agreement between the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and the Department of Education of Taipei City, the first for a US school district.
Speaking to East-West Center Young Professional Tommis Meyer, HTS Vice President Greg Meyers highlighted several key areas of collaboration, such as education programs and cultural exchanges, that have brought further avenues for improving relations between the two cities and the countries they represent. Vice President Meyers underscored HTS’s goals in ensuring Taiwanese students “get to see what Houston has to offer,” while also sending Houston students to Taiwan. Taiwanese airline Eva Air has been an important partner in supporting underprivileged students participating in these programs. Meyers himself hosted 50 students from Taiwan at Coleman Community College, where students examined the school’s facilities and healthcare program. In September 2024, TECO Director General Yvonne Hsiao and the Taiwanese Education Director met with Houston officials to discuss the potential to elevate educational cooperation with Taiwan to the state and even national levels and supported an initiative to use Taiwanese instructional material in Texan Mandarin programs.
The semiconductor industry is another area of collaboration between Texas and Taiwan, with Texas dominating US semiconductor manufacturing and leading the nation in their exports for the last 13 years. Taiwan, responsible for over 60% of the world’s semiconductor production and 90% of the most advanced chips, is a key partner for Texas’s semiconductor industry. Vice President Meyers shared that HTS and TECO are working together with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world, to create a new career program. HTS is aiming to establish a “career pathway” for students in a local Houston school district to attend a community college in Houston for two years of their education and the remaining two at a Taiwan-based university through an articulation agreement. Upon completion, graduates will return to Houston and bolster the “vibrant workforce” tackling the world’s most complex programs. The program will be the first of its kind and demonstrates the potential sister city relationships can offer in creating opportunities for their people to learn and grow while gaining unique background and skills. TECO’s work with TSMC, and HTS’s work in energizing interest and opportunities to gain an entry point into this industry, fit into a larger picture of not only global interest in semiconductors, but also Texan efforts to invest heavily into the industry.
The larger state of Texas also shares a close relationship with Taiwan. In 2023, trade between Texas and Taiwan reached $21.3 billion, and over the last 10 years Taiwan has invested in 10 projects across Texas, in cities including Point Comfort, Plano, and Houston, which are expected to generate $10.5 billion in capital as well as 2500 jobs. In 2024, Governor Abott visited Taiwan, signing an Economic Development Statement of Interest, reaffirming Texas and Taiwan’s commitment to close economic cooperation. He also thanked Doris Hsu, Chairman & CEO of GlobalWafers and Sino-American Silicon Products, for the company’s investment in Texas. GlobiTech owns a $5 billion advanced silicon wafer manufacturing facility in Texas, the first newly constructed facility in the United States in over two decades. With large economic partnerships, widespread interest and support for educational exchange and collaboration, and deep cultural ties, the Houston-Taipei partnership is sure to continue its significant growth going forward.
The Sister Cities Series covers notable Sister City Partnerships with Asia across the United States, highlighting cooperation and exchange serving as a foundation to improve relations and understanding between peoples and localities in the United States and the Indo-Pacific.
Tommis Meyer is a Spring 2025 Young Professional Intern at the East-West Center in Washington. Tommis is also in his final semester pursuing an undergraduate degree in Global International Relations at American University under its Joint Degree Program with Ritsumeikan University in Japan.