Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) The U.S. state of Louisiana has enjoyed friendship with Taiwan for almost 20 years, but bilateral ties could be strengthened with more business partnerships, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco said Thursday in Taipei.
"We're here to build friendships and partnerships, " Blanco said in an investment opportunity seminar that was a major part of her Nov. 7- 9 visit.
Blanco, who is leading a 10-member delegation, encouraged Taiwanese businessmen attending the seminar to invest in the "Gulf Opportunity Zone" (GO Zone) -- the area that was hard-hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita and is now the target of a major rebuilding effort.
Louisiana established a trade office in Taiwan in 1989 and has attracted many Taiwanese investors since then, including Formosa Plastics Corporation.
Blanco expressed her gratitude toward the "outpouring of help" from Taiwan, referring to a US$2 million donation, as well as medical and school supplies, donated to Louisiana in the wake of the hurricanes.
Louisiana is in the midst of the largest recovery in the U.S. history, with an estimated US$50 billion to be invested there, Blanco told about 100 businessmen who attended the seminar.
With GO Zone offering federal and state tax incentives and help from state and local governments, the investment opportunities for Taiwan businesses are "unprecedented, " she said.
The state also plans to expand academic exchanges with Taiwan to make Louisiana the destination for more Taiwanese students wishing to study abroad, she added.
Taiwan is the last stop of a two-week economic mission to Asia, during which Blanco has also visited Japan, China and Hong Kong.