Little's Taiwan visit spurs response from China

Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s recent trade mission to Taiwan, one of the state’s leading international partners, spurred a response from China amid rising tensions between Beijing and the self-ruled island nation.

In response to Little’s nine-day visit to Taiwan and Singapore in early December, a Chinese embassy affiliate spoke by phone to the governor’s chief of staff, Zach Hauge, according to Madison Hardy, Little’s spokesperson.

“Mr. Hauge did not take notes on the brief communication,” Hardy told the Idaho Statesman by email. “The Chinese and Taiwanese governments have a complicated relationship. It is not uncommon for China to take an interest in a trade mission to Taiwan.”

The Idaho Press first reported the contact. Taiwan is Idaho’s second-leading export partner, behind Canada. In 2021, Idaho exported about $480 million worth of goods to Taiwan, according to data from the Idaho Department of Commerce.

The majority of goods exported to Taiwan are electronics. Boise-based Micron Technology is one of Taiwan’s largest foreign employers. But Idaho officials are looking to bolster agriculture exports as well.

In September, Little signed a two-year agreement supporting wheat sales to Taiwan. Representatives from Idaho’s potato, wheat and dairy industries joined the Republican governor, who was recently re-elected, on the December trade mission.

“Gov. Little intends to continue cultivating this relationship, which supports Idaho farmers and the agricultural sector, in his second term,” Hardy told the Statesman.

Little’s visit — the second trade mission to Taiwan of the governor’s first term — came as China is escalating its military presence around Taiwan.

Beijing officials have said that Taiwan, which has been independent of China since 1949, must be “reunified” under control of China’s Communist government.

After U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, visited Taiwan in August, dozens of Chinese military aircraft and ships conducted exercises, including missile strikes, around the Taiwan Strait, a strip of ocean between the nation and mainland China, The Associated Press reported.

Hardy did not say what was discussed between the Chinese embassy affiliate and the governor’s chief of staff. She also didn’t comment on whether Little is concerned his recent actions could harm Idaho’s economic relations with China.

On Dec. 14, Little joined more than a dozen Republican governors in banning the Chinese social media app TikTok from state-owned devices and networks. The executive order followed a warning from the FBI that the Chinese government could use TikTok to spy on Americans.

Little said the restrictions would protect Idahoans “from the sinister motives of a foreign government that does not share our values.”

China is Idaho’s seventh-leading trade partner, although exports to the country have declined about 75% since surpassing $600 million in 2016, according to the commerce department data.

In 2021, Idaho exported more than $150 million worth of commodities to China, the largest share of which were food and agriculture products. The same year, Idaho brought in nearly $500 million in Chinese goods, primarily electronics, furniture, sports equipment and manufacturing materials.

This story was originally published Dec. 29 in the Idaho Statesman.