In this time of crisis, Siew was assigned to go to the US where in only two weeks he negotiated and signed an emergency "Sino-American Trade Agreement," thus consolidating the foundation for the next ten years of economic prosperity in Taiwan.
早在民國六十七年年底，美國片面宣佈中美斷交，那時蕭萬長臨危受命到美國，以兩周的時間完成談判任務，緊急和美國簽署了「中美貿易協定」，確保了未來十年台灣經貿蓬勃發展的基礎。