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PHOENIX — <\/span>Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs joined Taiwanese leaders at the opening of an economic and cultural office Monday to aid Taiwanese businesses and citizens in the region, despite pressure from the Chinese government to block it.<\/p>\n Taiwanese authorities have said the new Phoenix office \u2014 their 14th in the United States \u2014 will promote collaboration in technology, especially in semiconductor manufacturing, and better serve a growing number of Taiwanese migrants in the city.<\/p>\n After the plans for the office were announced in July, Hobbs received two letters from China\u2019s consulate general in Los Angeles asking her to object to the proposal, according to documents the governor\u2019s office shared with The Associated Press.<\/p>\n In a July 3 letter, the Chinese authority called the governor to \u201crefute such an attempt by the Taiwan authorities and stop any political gimmicks to harm the friendship and cooperation between China and the State of Arizona.\u201d The stance was reiterated in an Aug. 21 letter. <\/p>\n The letters were first reported by Phoenix radio station KJZZ.<\/p>\n Hobbs highlighted Arizona\u2019s ties with Taiwan at Monday\u2019s opening.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery Arizona elected official should show the courage necessary to support the partnership between Arizona and Taiwan,\u201d Hobbs said. \u201cAs our economic partnership grows, we are mobilizing every available resource to support Taiwanese companies expanding here in Arizona.\u201d<\/p>\n Beijing claims the island<\/a> as a breakaway province inseparable from China, while Taiwan<\/a> considers itself separate from the Chinese mainland and has its own government. Scholars say that local-level collaborations with the Chinese government and Taiwan have become more politicized as U.S.-China relations have deteriorated over the years. <\/p>\n \u201cChina firmly opposes official interactions of any form between China\u2019s Taiwan region and the U.S., including its federal and state governments,\u201d Liu Chang, a spokesperson for China\u2019s Embassy in the U.S., said in a statement on Monday.<\/p>\n Taiwan has been increasing its economic footprint in Arizona, with advanced chipmaker Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, pledging $100 billion<\/a> to expand its operation in northern Phoenix. That brings its total investment in the city to $265 billion, the largest foreign direct investment in U.S. history. <\/p>\n Around 500 Taiwanese engineers are working to ramp up production at TSMC in Arizona, according to Jason Hsu, a former lawmaker in Taiwan and a senior fellow at the public policy think tank Hudson Institute. <\/p>\n Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego also said the city is seeing a sort of \u201cbaby boom\u201d in its Taiwanese communities, with several labor and delivery rooms even launching Mandarin language programs.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Tang reported from Washington.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n