Deputy Mayor Guo-Rong Huang of the Taichung City Government, the invitee, attended the "2023 Asia Pacific Cities Summit & Mayor's Forum, APCS" held recently in Brisbane, Australia, on behalf of Mayor Show-Yen Lu. He delivered a speech titled "The Experience of Promoting Net Zero Transformation: The Case of Taichung City" and participated in the Mayor's Forum to sign the Mayor's Declaration, meeting with more than a thousand people from representatives from nearly 200 cities and organizations around the world shared experiences and exchanges.

During the meeting the Secretariat of the Taichung City Government stated that Deputy Mayor Huang called upon Brisbane City Council Speaker Steven Toomey and other city officials. He extended an invitation to the Speaker to lead a delegation to visit Taichung, with the aim of strengthen cooperation between the two cities. He also stopped by the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct to inspect its promotion of development in the health and innovation fields. It is the first physical meeting held by the "Asia Pacific Cities Summit" after the epidemic. Five cities in Taiwan, including Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, and Taichung, sent representatives to attend the meeting. The Taichung City Government continues to actively participate in international affairs and be active on the international stage by participating in this conference.

The Secretariat indicated that the Asia-Pacific Cities Summit, was initiated by Brisbane, Australia in 1996, is held every two years, with Brisbane hosting the event every four years. It is a crucial government forum and business platform among Asia-Pacific cities. This is the 14th session, "Shaping the Future of Our City." The four-day agenda takes "City Connections," "City Sustainability," and "City Heritage" as sub-topics. Participants will discuss the city's governance and the latest developments and best operating strategy through keynote speeches, mayors' forums, group discussions, youth professional forums, and convention plazas.

The Secretariat explained that Deputy Mayor Huang delivered a speech at the "City Sustainability" symposium on "The Experience of Promoting Net Zero Transformation: The Case of Taichung City." He shared Taichung's sustainable development vision, urban governance experience, and achievements with Brisbane Deputy Mayor Krista Adams and other industry, government, and academia representatives, which the attendees highly recognized. In his speech, Deputy Mayor Huang explained how Taichung City will work with the world to respond to the "2050 Net Zero Emissions" goal under the challenge of climate change. In addition to policy formulation and implementation, the Taichung City Government is also actively developing a "Central Taiwan Regional Governance Platform" in cooperation with seven neighboring counties and cities.

The Secretariat further explained that the "Central Taiwan Regional Governance Platform" effectively integrates and leverages resources, aiming to maximize the benefits through regional cooperation. This initiative is designed to support the implementation of the United Nations' sustainable development goals and create a low-carbon, livable, and sustainable city. Deputy Mayor Huang also shared Taichung City's experience in disaster prevention and response management in the face of extreme climate shocks such as typhoons, heavy rains, and droughts at the Mayor's Forum. After the meeting, he signed the Mayor's Declaration with all participating mayors/deputy mayors.

Furthermore, during the meeting, Deputy Mayor Huang made special arrangements to visit Brisbane City Council Speaker Steven Toomey and other city officials to exchange municipal experience with them. At the same time, he invited the Speaker to lead a delegation to visit Taichung to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Taichung City and understand Taichung's tourism and food culture. Deputy Mayor Huang also stopped by the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct to inspect its promotion of development in the health and innovation fields. He also met with representatives from the overseas compatriot community and Taiwanese business people to introduce the current status of Taichung's tourism and economic development. His objective was to create collaborative opportunities and advance the vision of sustainable co-prosperity in the Asia-Pacific.