France is the second largest consumer market in Europe. Main products imported from Taiwan are integrated circuits, mobile phones, screw nuts, computer products and bike parts. Delegate Jean-François CESARINI, the Chairman of the Taiwan-France Friendship Group of the French National Assembly, led the delegation to Taichung City Government to visit Mayor Lin Jia Long on the 12th. He expects to facilitate cooperation in digital culture and technology, and promote enterprise collaboration between Taichung and France in the future, and encourage the exchange between Taiwan and France. Mayor Lin looks forward to expand opportunities for exchange and collaboration between Taiwan and France in aviation industry, smart city and digital culture.

Delegate Jean-François CESARINI, the Chairman of the Taiwan-France Friendship Group of the French National Assembly, and Delegate Jean-Jacques GAULTIER, led the delegation to Taichung City Government to visit Mayor Lin Jia Long on the 12th. Both parties exchange ideas on enterprise communication and integration of culture and digital economy.

Mayor Lin stated that Taichung interact with French cities quite often. This June, he led a delegation to France to join the Paris Air Show. The delegation visited the Airbus Headquarter and signed an MOU with Dassault to advance the diverse communication with European cities and expand the international market. Mayor Lin reported this outcome to President Tsai Ing-wen after returning to Taiwan. He hopes that Cities in Taiwan and France can exchange with each other in this way, especially for the aviation industry, smart city and cultural education, to build a close relationship. President Tsai designated the Executive Yuan to establish a Taiwan-France Group.

In addition, Taichung and French Representative in Taiwan have a close relationship. Taichung will hold 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition next year. Relevant units in France are enthusiastic about joining this event. Nantes, Saint-Pol-de-Léon and M&M Landscape Design from France are willing to participate in this exposition.

Mayor Lin stated that Taichung City Government will hold 2017 Taichung Arts Festival as a warm-up for the Flora Exposition. This Festival is similar to Festival of Avignon, which is held every year in the hometown of Chairman Jean-François CESARINI. Mayor Lin looks forward to the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from each other.

Chairman Jean-François CESARINI said that he led a business delegation to visit Taiwan one and a half year ago. He knows that Taiwan is active on developing the renewable energy. He thinks that culture and innovation are the best types of renewable energy and they can last forever. He hopes to increase cooperation opportunities for enterprises in both countries after this meeting. He expects that the cooperation can start from the combination of culture and digital technology.

Mayor Lin pointed out that Taichung is active on the development of smart city and plans to build Shuinan Smart City in downtown. Shuinan Smart City is designed based on the combination of digital culture and smart technology. Last month, Taichung City Government announced that Portzamparc, a winner of Pritzker Architecture Prize, was selected for the best blueprint of Intelligence Operation Center. Central Park, which passes through Shuinan Smart City, is planned and designed by Catherine Mosbach, a well-known French landscape designer and Ricky Liu & Associates Architects+Planners, an architecture office in Taiwan. It is expected that Shuinan Smart City will have a rich French style.

Chairman Jean-François CESARINI stated that he is glad to hear that Taiwan and France will work together to build a new innovative smart operation center. He believes that it is a great start and hopes that French companies will have more opportunities to invest in Taiwan and cooperate with local companies in Taiwan. He also hopes that he can lead companies around Europe have the chance to invest in Taichung and Taiwan besides the ones in Avignon.