San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is using overseas trade missions to make the case that the city can compete for the industries shaping the next economy.
Her latest trip, a March delegation visit to Taiwan, was framed by City Hall as an effort to strengthen bilateral ties, attract investment, and position San Antonio as a landing spot for Taiwanese firms looking to expand in the United States.
The mayor’s office said the delegation included District 9 Councilmember Misty Spears and members of Jones’ new Economic Security Advisory Group, among them Port San Antonio CEO Jim Perschbach and leaders from local technology firms.
The group’s agenda included meetings with Taiwanese government and industry leaders, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., or TSMC, the world’s largest dedicated chip foundry.
Taiwanese officials, in turn, highlighted Texas as an increasingly important base for Taiwanese companies entering the U.S. market. According to Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry and state media reports, Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi hosted the San Antonio delegation and discussed cybersecurity, drone technology, and advanced manufacturing. Jones said San Antonio aligns closely with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s “Five Trusted Industry Sectors,” an initiative centered on strategic industries tied to security, innovation, and resilient supply chains.
She also praised Taiwan’s democratic system and said the city sees opportunities in technology, talent exchange, and industrial cooperation.
The Taiwan visit is part of a broader economic diplomacy push by Jones. In December 2025, she led a trade mission to Mexico City, her first international trip as mayor, aimed at strengthening trade and investment ties ahead of the scheduled 2026 review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
That trip reflected San Antonio’s longstanding economic relationship with Mexico and its dependence on cross-border manufacturing and logistics networks.
Jones has also tried to connect those trips to a larger local strategy. Earlier this month, she created the Economic Security Advisory Group to help San Antonio grow in artificial intelligence, quantum technology, biotechnology, and space manufacturing. Supporters say that approach matches the city’s existing strengths in cybersecurity, defense, advanced manufacturing, and Port San Antonio’s growing innovation footprint.
Trade missions often produce more long-term relationships than immediate wins, and it can be difficult to measure success in the short run. City officials have pointed to meetings, partnerships, and San Antonio’s visibility on the global stage — including Jones’ appearance at the 2026 Smart City Summit & Expo in Taiwan — as evidence of progress. But the bigger test will be whether those visits translate into jobs, new facilities, and sustained private investment in the Alamo City.
Guest:
Gina Ortiz Jones is Mayor of San Antonio.
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