On April 9, Taichung City Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen met with Director Matthieu Baudouin A. Branders of the Belgian Office in Taipei, Chief Representative Kazuyuki Katayama of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, and Representative Yip Wei Kiat of the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei, to express appreciation for their support of the 2024 Taichung Shopping Festival and to exchange views on global trade challenges stemming from rising U.S. tariffs. Mayor Lu also called for deeper economic ties with Belgium, Japan, and Singapore through joint exhibitions and enhanced business incentives.
Mayor Lu sincerely thanked the three representatives for appearing in the international promotional videos of the 2024 Taichung Shopping Festival. Each video garnered over 250,000 views online, significantly boosting the festival’s global visibility. The campaign yielded remarkable results, with total registered spending reaching NT$35.3 billion. The “Taichung Pass (TCPASS)” app recorded more than 2.8 million downloads and over 1.65 million registered members. Moreover, the festival drew 2,784 foreign visitors from over 40 countries, generating NT$43 million in recorded spending. News and information was even shared across 47 countries and regions, including Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, and reached over 500 hotels throughout Asia. Mayor Lu emphasized that these efforts not only showcased the culinary and cultural highlights of Belgium, Japan, and Singapore, but also reinforced Taichung’s image as a dynamic international city.
Mayor Lu highlighted Taichung’s close relationships with Belgium, Japan, and Singapore, which are key trade partners of Taiwan. As countries worldwide grapple with the impact of increased U.S. tariffs, many are exploring strategies for mitigation. Mayor Lu used the opportunity to seek insights from the three representatives on how to best navigate these challenges. Underscoring the notion that "crisis brings opportunity," she urged for enhanced economic cooperation with Belgium, Japan, and Singapore to diversify Taiwan’s international trade partnership, while maintaining focus on the U.S. market.
Photo: Economic Development Bureau, Taichung City Government
Mayor Lu also announced that the city government has formed an “Emergency Response Team” and launched six major strategies, including tax relief measures, in response to current trade uncertainties. These strategies aim to diversify export markets and reduce reliance on U.S. demand. The city will subsidize Taichung-based businesses for participation in international trade shows, encouraging them to explore new markets. Mayor Lu expressed her hope for closer collaboration with foreign representative offices in Taiwan, facilitating mutual participation in exhibitions and creating new business opportunities.
According to the Taichung City Government Economic Development Bureau, all three representatives expressed optimism about expanding cooperation, building on existing trade foundations. Taichung is widely regarded as a hub for industry and investment, with many enterprises from Belgium, Japan, and Singapore already operating in the city. Similarly, many Taiwanese businesses have established successful ventures in these countries. The representatives expressed enthusiasm for further collaboration to strengthen economic and trade ties.
The Economic Development Bureau highlighted several notable examples of foreign investment in Taichung. Japanese companies, such as Mitsui Fudosan and MGC Pure Chemicals, have established a strong presence in the city. Belgian companies are actively players in industries like offshore wind energy, bicycle components, and medical devices. Singaporean businesses are involved in areas such as software services, chemical manufacturing, and semiconductor equipment maintenance.
Photo: Economic Development Bureau, Taichung City Government
One recent milestone is Singapore’s ST Engineering Urban Solutions securing the turnkey contract for the Taichung MRT Blue Line BM01 project, which includes the E&M system, depot construction, and main substation.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Mayors Huang Guo-Rong and Cheng Chao-Hsin, Deputy Secretary-General Lin Yu-Hong, and Economic Development Bureau Director Chang Feng-Yuan. The discussions were both dynamic and constructive, highlighting the shared commitment to strengthening cooperation.
Advertorial by Economic Development Bureau, Taichung City Government
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS