The Global Organization of Smart Cities (GO SMART), initiated by the Taipei City Government, was yesterday established in the capital and held its first meeting in the afternoon.
The launch event was held at the Smart City Summit and Expo at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center and attended by more than 100 city and industry representatives yesterday morning.
Su Liang (蘇亮), head of the GO SMART preparatory advisory committee, said the organization was prelaunched in March last year and has been founded to create a global platform for the exchange of smart city information, experiences, and associated problems and solutions.
So far, 130 members, including 92 cities, have joined the organization, he said.
“Taipei’s vision is to become a livable city, providing its citizens with lifestyles that are sustainable, high quality and continuously improving,” Taipei Deputy Mayor Teng Chia-chi (鄧家基) said. “To achieve these ends, Taipei takes advantage of smart technology to meet its residents’ needs.”
The Taipei Smart City Office was established in March 2016, and it has facilitated more than 160 proof-of-concept projects through public-private partnerships, Teng said.
The Taipei Computer Association said that the nation has developed great skill sets in terms of flexibility, speed and cost efficiency in the information and communication technology industry, bringing great advantages for developing smart cities, and that it has the potential to become a key contributor to smart cites.
GO SMART also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Local Government Association of Queensland on cooperation.
Queensland Government Trade and Investment Commissioner for Taiwan Patrick Hafens said that every city in Queensland has membership, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of smart city solutions.
THE CHINA CONNECTION: As Beijing’s aggression increases, so does Taiwanese consciousness, making a new constitution imperative, Hsu Wei-chun said If the nation is to ratify a new constitution, it must first end any illusions about the current document’s relevance to Taiwan, an academic told a forum in Taipei yesterday. For the constitutional revisionist movement to succeed, it needs public enthusiasm, the right timing and a clear plan of action, Chung Yuan Christian University associate professor Hsu Wei-chun (徐偉群) told attendees at the event titled “Imagining a New Constitution for a New Era,” which was organized by the National Taiwan University Graduate Student Association. The Constitution exists under the “one China” framework and has little relevance to Taiwan, Hsu said, adding that
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday urged Beijing to respect the median line of the Taiwan Strait by immediately stopping its military intimidation of Taiwan, as such actions would only hurt the feelings of Taiwanese. Beijing should immediately stop making military provocations against Taiwan, Ma wrote on Facebook after Chinese warplanes in the past week have made numerous forays across the median line that divides the Taiwan Strait. Although it has never officially acknowledged the median line, Beijing used to respect it, Ma said in response to comments on Monday by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin (汪文斌), who said
IDENTITY: The time is right to press on with a referendum, as the nation has heightened visibility and support in the global community, the Taiwan United Nations Alliance said The Taiwan United Nations Alliance yesterday said that it is considering launching a petition for a referendum proposal to have the nation join the UN under the name “Taiwan.” Alliance chairman Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲) was joined at a news conference in Taipei by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Hsiu-fang (黃秀芳) and leaders of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and civic organizations. They said that it is the right time for a petition because Taiwan’s visibility on the world stage has increased, as it has been praised for its success in containing its COVID-19 outbreak and for helping other countries by sharing
An advertisement displayed in the corridor of the underground Taipei City Mall has caused contention online with social media users saying that it depicts Taiwanese bears as servants of Chinese pandas. The advertisement — which imitates the style of an ancient Chinese painting, but replaces people with bears — shows a scene in imperial China, with Formosan black bears laboring, while pandas relax and enjoy beverages. “The development of the tourism industry is important, but this type of targeted advertising is extremely disrespectful — and it makes people uncomfortable,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Chen E-jun (陳怡君) said. The advertisement, under
RSS