During her administrative report at the city council today (9th), Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen detailed the city government’s various policies and construction projects. She noted that for over six years, the city government has approached governing the city with a family-like dedication to protect and develop the city. Looking ahead to 2025, she described it as a year when the city government’s efforts will bear fruit. Mayor Lu pledged that the team will stay committed to their vision of “a heartwarming Taichung, like family,” making the city even happier and more livable.

At today’s 5th regular session of the 4th term of the Taichung City Council, Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen reported that the city’s population reached a record high of 2.86 million by the end of last year. She highlighted Taichung’s strong performance in multiple national rankings, including topping four separate public satisfaction polls conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation, ETtoday, Economic Daily News, and TVBS, as well as being named the happiest city in Taiwan. These achievements in governance have not only driven population growth but have also repeatedly earned external recognition. Mayor Lu stressed that these honors are shared by all Taichung citizens.

Mayor Lu described 2025 as a year when Taichung’s development projects will finally bear fruit. Two key international-level facilities—the Taichung International Convention and Exhibition Center and the Taichung Green Museumbrary—are set to open by year’s end, while construction on Taichung Arena is progressing rapidly and even ahead of schedule. These three major projects, two decades in the making, will mark a turning point for the city and position Taichung as a global city with a presence on the world stage.

On the transportation front, Mayor Lu outlined plans to build the MRT Blue Line, which will intersect the existing Green Line to form a cross-shaped network, while seven other MRT lines are being planned to establish a more extensive transit system for the Greater Taichung area. She also mentioned major road projects, such as the Shizheng Road extension that links three key industrial parks—boosting industrial and economic growth—and serving as a backup route for Taiwan Boulevard during MRT Blue Line construction. Other developments include the Huanan Road connection to Special Route 3 along the coastal area, Jiapu Boulevard, and the Dongfeng Expressway, a crucial emergency route in the mountain region. Together, these public transport efforts aim to build a tightly connected transport network, make travel more convenient for residents, bridge the urban-rural gap, and foster growth throughout the city.

On the economic front, Taichung leads among Taiwan’s six municipalities in attracting investment, with 345 companies choosing to set up operations in the city. Recent data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs shows Taichung topped five key economic indicators last quarter, including company and business registrations, and has maintained leadership in at least four indicators for 15 straight quarters. Additionally, Taichung’s individual income tax is up nearly 90%, and profit-seeking enterprise income tax nearly 50%, with over 35,000 new profit-seeking enterprises registered—the highest increase among the six municipalities. This reflects Taichung’s investor-friendly environment and livability. Mayor Lu also announced good news: Two leading enterprises—Taipei 101 and Cathay Life Insurance—will collaborate to build “Taichung 101,” a project expected to push the city’s department store market revenue into the NT$100 billion range.

On the social welfare front, the city government has been steadily implementing policies such as “Doubling Public Childcare Centers,” “One Parent-Child Center in Every District,” and “Expanding Public Preschools.”. The number of public childcare centers has increased from 5 to 46, while parent-child centers have grown from 4 to 17. One of the most difficult undertakings—creating special classes for 2-year-olds—has seen a dramatic rise from just 7 to 180 citywide. Taichung also offers the most generous subsidies in the country for its egg and sperm freezing program. As for social housing, the city met its target of 10,000 units two years ahead of schedule. These achievements reflect the city’s dedication to making Taichung the most caring and friendly city for all its residents.

On the education front, the city government has allocated more funding to reconstruct school old infrastructure, including a NT$3 billion funding to rebuild 27 outdated school buildings, ensuring students have a safe environment to learn. The city government also initiated the “Auditorium for Every Child” project, supporting 25 schools in building new auditoriums. On the senior welfare front, Taichung has provided health insurance subsidies to 390,000 senior citizens, introduced the most generous senior transit card program among Taiwan’s six municipalities, set up 515 community care centers, and organized more than 1,200 classes through senior learning academies. Mayor Lu reaffirmed that every senior citizen is valued and cherished.

Mayor Lu noted that the city government has addressed recent U.S. tariff hikes on major Taiwanese industries—some reaching as high as 32%—by swiftly forming an Emergency Response Task Force. She brought together leaders from eight counties and cities in central Taiwan to coordinate a collective response, resulting in seven joint statements. Following four high-level economic meetings, they developed four strategic measures and issued two main appeals. Despite facing tough economic headwinds both at home and abroad, Mayor Lu stressed that the city government will stay the course on social welfare, continuing to care for all citizens and fostering a warm, caring, and friendly city.