With TV viewers being barraged by commercials from political candidates on both sides of the aisle blasting communist China for America’s economic problems, the “other” China is offering a hand of friendship to the Valley and the rest of Ohio.

Officials representing the Republic of China are visiting this week with Valley civic, business, and education leaders to promote economic relationships with the island nation of Taiwan

 A delegation led by Johnson Sen Chiang, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago, is here on a mission to enhance bilateral investment, industrial and technology cooperation, and to assist Taiwan's companies in marketing and promoting their products and services in the US market.

A press conference to outline the visit and to hear from the delegation is scheduled at Howland’s Grand Resort Conference Center at 11:00 a.m. on Friday.

Scheduled to appear at the press conference is Former State Senator Sean O’Brien, who earlier this week took part in a Taiwan Friendship Caucus in Columbus.

According to state Senator Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood), who also took part in the Friendship Caucus, in 2020, Taiwan was ranked as Ohio’s 11th-largest trading partner in the world and Ohio’s third-largest export market in Asia.

Taiwan was also Ohio’s 8th-largest market for agricultural products and livestock in the world, according to a statement from Sen. Antonio’s office.

Taiwan is a nation of 23 million people that operates under a multiparty democratic form of government.