The delegation of Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) visited Mayor of Taichung City, Lin Chia-lung yesterday (January 9) to exchange opinions on international situation and regional economy. Mayor Lin indicated that Taichung made achievements in the non-traditional city diplomacy. Many top local industries have developed their global presence with strategic alliances to improve their international competiveness competitiveness. Mayor Lin agreed with the “Taiwan-U.S. relations” that former Idaho Republican Party Chairman Stephen Yates talked about, which could break through Taiwan's diplomatic dilemma by strengthening the interaction between Taiwan and state governments of the U.S.

After visiting President Tsai Ing-wen and Premier Lai Ching-te, Vice Chairman of GTI Jennifer Hu led the delegation to visit Mayor of Taichung City, Lin Chia-lung yesterday. Both parties exchanged opinions on international situation, regional economy, and local industry links in Taichung.

Mayor Lin pointed out that Taichung was systemically promoting the non-traditional city diplomacy, like the “Taiwan-U.S. relations” as indicated by former Idaho Republican Party Chairman Stephen Yates, to break through Taiwan's diplomatic dilemma by strengthening the interaction between Taiwan and state governments of the U.S., while improving the local autonomy in the hope of making six municipals engage the world further as economies.

Mayor Lin gave an example. Last year, Taichung City Government invited people from the industry, government, and academia to visit and exchange information with other countries under the leadership of the local government. The cooperation between local industries and world-renowned manufacturers was greatly improved. Yaskawa Electric Corporation, Airbus S.A.S., and Siemens AG entered into an MOU with Taichung respectively, organized forums, and even set up a technical service center; by contrast, many top local industries have developed their global presence with strategic alliances to improve their international competitiveness.

To answer to the question about the threat of China’s rise to technical advantages in Taiwan raised by a member of GTI, Mayor Lin said that there was still a gap between China’s and Taiwan’s high-tech core technology regardless of the rapid industrial growth in China and that local manufacturers were aware of this crisis. For example, although TSMC has a plant in Shanghai, Taiwan still led China in technology by two generations; in addition, local industries in Taichung, such as precision machinery and medical smart aids, have integrated the elastic supply chains through smart manufacturing and regional innovation system. The problem of industrial offshoring needs to be solved, but there is no need to worry too much about it.

Vice Chairman of GTI Jennifer Hu also agreed with Mayor Lin in this regard. Hu indicated that at this stage Washington, DC attaches certain importance to the international links of local industries in Taiwan and New Southbound Policy. Hu also thanked Mayor Lin for cooperating with GTI as the founder of Taiwan Think Tank to organize many international seminars on Developing a New Framework for Taiwan-U.S. Relations under Changing Dynamics in the Asia-Pacific and hoped to cooperate more on different issues to promote the sustainable development of Taiwan-U.S. relations.

Founded in 2016, GTI is an emerging think tank based on Taiwan studies in Washington, DC and aims to increase the emphasis of the think tanks and decision makers in Washington, DC on the Taiwan-U.S. relations and attract the attention of new-generation scholars and experts in the U.S. to Taiwan issues. The members of GTI are successful professionals in Taiwan and the U. S. who care about the future of Taiwan and Taiwan-U.S. relations. The purpose of this visit to Taiwan is to have an in-depth conversation with the government officials at a high level.