Mayor Lin Chia-lung attended opening ceremony of the 14th Joint Meeting between Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) and Singapore Business Federation (SBF) today (January 19). Mayor Lin indicated that Taiwan and Singapore cooperated in many projects and required deeper partnering; as the second largest city in Taiwan, Taichung is also a livable city. The joint meeting is a good platform for mutual exchange. Mayor Lin hoped that the joint meeting would further become a regular meeting and proposed organizing the next joint meeting in Taichung. Mayor Lin also expected that the government of Singapore cooperated to promote industrial upgrade, establish a fixed communication channel, and set specific topics for discussion through a city-based regional system based on the Agreement between Singapore and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on Economic Partnership (ASTEP), making mutual cooperation more specific.

The 14th Joint Meeting between Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) and Singapore Business Federation (SBF) was held in Singapore today. Mayor Lin led nearly 100 Taiwanese entrepreneurs to attend the meeting and gave a speech on the industrial planning and business opportunities in Taichung City.

Mayor Lin indicated that as a city of smart manufacturing, Taichung City has actively developed the smart city and IoT. In the joint meeting, Mayor Lin discussed the smart city, smart manufacturing, IoT, and financial services, and paid special attention to other specific industries and investments; in addition general economy and trade, Mayor Lin hoped to complement the relationship between Taichung and Singapore.

Mayor Lin pointed out Singapore is an international financial and logistics center, but lacks the foundation of large manufacturing. In Taichung City, precision machinery, aerospace, semiconductor and information and communication industries are well developed in addition to traditional small and medium enterprises. Through bilateral exchange, Taichung and Singapore can cooperate with ASEAN and South Asian countries.

Mayor Lin also said that Singapore is a very important trading partner with Taiwan. Singapore is Taiwan’s fifth largest export market and also has the highest trading amount in ASEAN and with Taiwan. Taiwan and Singapore entered into the ASTEP and has made progress in tourism and cultural exchange in recent years. From January to November 2017, Singapore’s investment in Taiwan reached NT$127 million, including tourism and the electronic industry. Taichung City also embraced abundant investments in logistics, smart city, biotech, e-commerce and Halal certification. This year, the Taichung World Flora Exposition will be organized in Taichung City. Mayor Lin invited Singapore to visit Taichung, so as to promote bilateral exchange and cooperation.

Economic Development Bureau, Taichung City Government pointed out that Taichung City has great innate conditions, including the central location of Taiwan, precision machinery and smart manufacturing park within a radius of 60km at Dadu Mountain, and solid traditional manufacturing; in addition, Taichung City has both an airport and an international harbor, making it a hub in East Asia. Last year, Taichung City became the second largest city in Taiwan. The city government attracted large enterprises to invest in Taichung using various strategies in order to make Taichung City the most potential and full of business opportunities for future development.

According to the Economic Development Bureau, Mayor Lin also visited YCH Supply Chain City and National Research Foundation in Singapore, in addition to the joint meeting, in the hopes of promoting the cooperation between the industry, the government, and the academia and accelerating the upgrade of smart manufacturing and smart city in Taichung; in addition, Mayor Lin expected to attract foreign investments to facilitate the industry’s international development.