Singapore Trade Office in Taipei Trade Representative Simon Wong Wie Kuen, Deputy Trade Representative Jeff Khoo, and Director Shih-hui Lin visited Taichung City government today (19th), and they were welcomed by Deputy Mayor Linghu on behalf of Mayor Shiow-yen Lu. According to Deputy Mayor Linghu, Singapore has garnered international recognition for its success in opinions regarding international affairs, economy, high-technology development, and tourism, therefore it can serve as a role model for Taichung City. In the future, he expects to forge more multilateral cooperation between Taichung and Singapore for the benefit of both parties.

Deputy Mayor Linghu welcomed Trade Representative Wong and other delegates in the company of Development Bureau Deputy Director-general I-an Li, where both parties shared opinions in relation to industry developments and visions for future collaborations. They also exchanged keepsakes with each other.

According to Deputy Mayor Linghu, Singapore holds strong ties with Taichung City, therefore the Singapore Florist Association is also actively involved in the Taichung World Flora Exposition, and Representative Wong plays an important role in this respect. Singapore is an important ally of Taichung City, and a role model to learn from. Mayor Lu intends to realize the vision of Taichung Wealthy City 3 through the 3 major economic policies of Free Trade, High Technology, and Logistics Center, thereby transforming Taichung into an affluent and influential metropolis. At the same time, internationalization is also a strong focus, and it is believed that the friendly relationship between Taichung City and Singapore will be a mutually beneficial one.

Trade Representative Wong commented that filming crews and teams from Singapore and Taichung collaborated for the film “Killer Not Stupid”, and many of the scenes were filmed in Taichung. Since the flora expo opened in November last year, it has attracted many Singaporeans to visit Taichung. Last year, a total of 420,000 to 430,000 Singaporeans came to Taiwan, with over half of them having visited the flora expo in Taichung and commending the event’s spectacular attractions. They also expressed their joy for Singapore to be part of such an amazing event.

In addition to exchanges in film and tourism, commerce is also a vital aspect; there is a green energy collaborative project being implemented now that emphasizes the concept localization, be it equipment or electric cables. Local companies are taken into consideration as a priority. After careful evaluation, Yushan Group is in the process of discussing potential factory sites in either Taichung or Changhua with the MOEA. The largest manufacturing hub in Taiwan is located in Taichung, therefore he recommended Yushan Group to assemble a “tourist group” to visit Taichung and evaluate the environment. If the tourist group is eventually assembled, the city hall should offer assistance in every possible way.

In light of this, Deputy Mayor Linghu suggested that Taichung City is endowed with a remarkable precision machinery industry that is considered among some of the best in the world, while bicycle component manufacturing has also undergone flourishing development. Taiwanese businesses, particularly those from Taichung, have also made their presence felt globally, therefore the city hall extends its welcome to Yushan Group to come to Taichung, and it will prepare a briefing to introduce Taichung’s exceptional environment.

Development Bureau Deputy Director-general I-an Li indicated that Taichung Harbor has numerous manufacturing and assembly firms. If the need arises, the city hall will help them to contact Port of Taichung, Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Ltd. to facilitate the collaboration process.

Deputy Mayor Linghu also mentioned that phase one of the Shuinan International Convention Center construction project is slated to break ground in March this year, followed by completion in 2022 and opening in 2023. By proactively developing Taichung’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) industry, it is hoped to nurture local enterprises and expand business investment. Many major international conferences are now organized in Singapore, hence it is hoped that Taichung will be able to learn exhibition and conference center construction related experience from Singapore.

Furthermore, Taichung Film Development Foundation and single filming assistance window were created to provide filming crews the friendliest service and administrative support in Taichung. Film and documentary production subsidies are granted as well, thus Singaporean filmmakers are welcome to take advantage of Taichung as a great filming location.