Taking over the office in February this year, Mr. Yip Wei Kiat, the Trade Representative of the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei, visited the Taichung City Government for the first time today (the 3rd). Greeted by Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen, Mr. Yip exchanged his views on various issues such as trade, economy, gourmet foods with the Taichung City Government. Representative Yip especially recognized the efforts of the Taichung Shopping Festival for economic stimulation and he invited Mayor Lu to visit his country next year to take part in the "Singapore Version Shopping Festival." Mayor Lu gave her approval to aim for more official exchanges between Taichung and Singapore and in deepening cultural exchanges between private organizations and businesses.
According to Mayor Lu, Taichung and Singapore have had close relationships for many years. Taichung has participated in diverse platforms such as NATAS Holidays in Singapore to promote important annual tourism events of Taichung such as the Taiwan Lantern Festival and World Flora Expo. In the recent three years, about 40% of Singapore tourists to Taiwan chose to stay a night in Taichung City. Statistics showed that in 2019, among the 400,000 Singaporean visitors to Taiwan, about 150,000 chose to stay at least a night in Taichung, a growth by about 16% compared to 2018 showing a close relationship between two sides.
Additionally, both sides also cooperate in terms of agricultural produce, flower trading, culture, education and film industry. This year marks the 2nd Anniversary of the Taichung Shopping Festival and Mayor Lu especially invited Representative Yip to take part to enjoy Taichung's gourmet foods such as bubble tea and traditional pastries to appreciate the authentic Taichung culture.
Mr. Yip Wei Kiat, the Trade Representative of the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei, also mentioned about the long-hosting event of the "Great Singapore Sale" co-organized by the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) similar to the Taichung Shopping Festival has gained popularity among international tourists. He would like to invite Mayor Lu to Singapore for exchanges between the two cities. Today's visit to the Taichung City Government was led by Mr. Yip Wei Kiat, the Trade Representative of the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei and accompanied by his office Director, Ms Lin SI EN. With Mayor Lu, Deputy Mayor Bruce Ling Hu and Director General of the Tourism and Travel Bureau, Shiau-chi, were also present to exchange ideas on various issues. Especially, Mayor Lu took Representative Yip to the window side and introduced him to Taichung's beautiful scenery and development followed by a lively discussion.