Representative of the Liaison Office of South Africa Matsebe visited Taichung City Mayor Lin Chia-lung on the 28th to exchange opinions in regards to industry, education, agriculture and medical care. According to Mayor Lin, South Africa is an important partner of Taichung in achieving internationalization. In the future, aside from city diplomacy, the city government will also engage in in-depth researches on potential collaborations. Entrepreneurs from Taichung and Taiwanese businesses that have invested in South Africa will be invited to participate in the program in order to facilitate further, more comprehensive cooperation. Mayor Lin also invited Representative Matsebe and South Africans to attend the Taichung World Flora expo next year.

Accompanied by Agricultural Bureau Director-General Wang Jun-xiong, Economic Development Bureau Deputy Director-General Li Yi-an and Industrial Development and Investment Promotion Committee of Taichung City President Cai Shi-yin, Mayor Lin welcomed Representative of the Liaison Office of South Africa Mr. Matsebe and Deputy Representative Ms. Mabasa, where both parties exchanged opinions about possible future collaborations. After the meeting, Mayor Lin presented souvenirs such as World Flora Expo tea tray and pineapple cakes to Representative Matsebe, and he in turn presented Mayor Lin with books on South Africa’s diverse creative cultures.

Mayor Lin expressed his joy at the visit by the Representative of the Liaison Office of South Africa and suggested that in the future, Taiwanese cities can forge sister city relationships with South African provinces in order to foster more in-depth and comprehensive interactions. Moreover, South Africa is a rapidly emerging nation, and several Taiwanese businesses have already invested locally, thus in the future, the city diplomacy approach can be applied to complement South Africa’s endeavors in promoting ocean economy, thereby facilitating collaborations in fields such as industry, education, agriculture and medical care.

Mayor Lin pointed out that South Africa is an influential nation in Africa, and it is also a maritime nation. In order for Taiwan to tap into the global market, Africa is a vital region, and South Africa is particularly important as a partner of Taichung in terms of internationalization. In the future, the city government will also engage in in-depth researches on potential collaborations, while entrepreneurs from Taichung and Taiwanese businesses that have invested in South Africa will be invited to participate in the program in order to facilitate substantial cooperation. In addition, he also invited Representative Matsebe and South Africans to attend the Taichung World Flora Expo next year.

Representative of the Liaison Office of South Africa Matsebe commented that he attended a South African tourism seminar in Taichung several weeks ago, and he was impressed with the city instantly. Subsequently, he came to learn that Taichung is a thriving metropolis with diverse cultures, very much like South Africa, thus both parties countries should establish a cooperative relationship in areas such as commerce, trade, investment, health and green energy.

He also suggested that there is so much South Africa can learn from Taichung, such as how the city tackles the issue on global climate change. This morning, he just visited a green energy company in Taichung. That is the reason why he chose the city as the first stop of his tour of cities around Taiwan. Furthermore, he hopes to facilitate bilateral interactions and collaborations through his meeting with Mayor Lin in an effort to generate mutual benefits and create a win-win situation.

According to the Secretariat of Taichung City Government, South Africa has a land area of approximately 1.21 million square kilometer and a population of about 55.91 million people. Potential market opportunities in the country include machinery, automotive parts and components, agricultural products and food products. With a growth rate of 63%, it is the second largest economy, and Taiwan’s largest trade partner in Africa. The trade structures of both countries complement each other, whereas Taiwanese businesses may benefit by investing in the mineral product, AI and automotive component design related technologies. Since these fields are also where Taichung City’s strengths lie, therefore it is believed that there will be abundant opportunities for exchanges and collaborations in the future.