PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Taiwanese officials opened a Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Phoenix on Monday, creating a new hub to support Taiwanese businesses and residents across the region. Taiwan says the office will encourage cooperation in technology, particularly semiconductor manufacturing, and serve a growing Taiwanese community in Arizona. It is the island’s 14th office in the United States. The opening followed pressure from China’s government. Arizona officials shared two letters sent to Hobbs by China’s consulate general in Los Angeles after the office plan was announced in July. A July 3 letter urged Hobbs to oppose the proposal, describing it as a political maneuver that could harm China-Arizona relations. A second letter, dated Aug. 21, repeated that position. “Every Arizona elected official should show the courage necessary to support the partnership between Arizona and Taiwan,” Hobbs said at the opening. She added that the state was directing resources toward Taiwanese companies expanding in Arizona. A spokesperson for China’s Embassy in the United States said Monday that Beijing opposes official interactions between Taiwan and U.S. federal or state governments. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory; Taiwan has its own government and considers itself separate from mainland China. Local-level ties between U.S. governments and Taiwan have become more politically contentious as U.S.-China relations have worsened, scholars say. The office opens as Taiwan’s economic presence in Arizona expands. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has pledged $100 billion for its northern Phoenix operations, bringing its total planned investment in the city to $265 billion. The company’s expansion is described as the largest foreign direct investment in U.S. history. About 500 Taiwanese engineers are working to ramp up production at TSMC’s Arizona facilities, said Jason Hsu, a former Taiwanese lawmaker and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego also pointed to the community’s growth, saying some local labor and delivery units have begun Mandarin-language programs. The new office is intended to support both sides of that growing relationship: businesses tied to Arizona’s high-profile semiconductor buildout and Taiwanese residents settling in the Valley.