On April 9, Taichung City Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen met with Director Matthieu Baudouin A. Branders of the Belgian Office in Taipei, Chief Representative Kazuyuki Katayama of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, and Representative Yip Wei Kiat of the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei, to express appreciation for their support of the 2024 Taichung Shopping Festival and to exchange views on global trade challenges stemming from rising U.S. tariffs. Mayor Lu also called for deeper economic ties with Belgium, Japan, and Singapore through joint exhibitions and enhanced business incentives.
Mayor Lu sincerely thanked the three representatives for appearing in the international promotional videos of the 2024 Taichung Shopping Festival. Each video garnered over 250,000 views online, significantly boosting the festival’s global visibility. The campaign yielded remarkable results, with total registered spending reaching NT$35.3 billion. The “Taichung Pass (TCPASS)” app recorded more than 2.8 million downloads and over 1.65 million registered members. Moreover, the festival drew 2,784 foreign visitors from over 40 countries, generating NT$43 million in recorded spending. News and information was even shared across 47 countries and regions, including Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, and reached over 500 hotels throughout Asia. Mayor Lu emphasized that these efforts not only showcased the culinary and cultural highlights of Belgium, Japan, and Singapore, but also reinforced Taichung’s image as a dynamic international city.
Mayor Lu highlighted Taichung’s close relationships with Belgium, Japan, and Singapore, which are key trade partners of Taiwan. As countries worldwide grapple with the impact of increased U.S. tariffs, many are exploring strategies for mitigation. Mayor Lu used the opportunity to seek insights from the three representatives on how to best navigate these challenges. Underscoring the notion that "crisis brings opportunity," she urged for enhanced economic cooperation with Belgium, Japan, and Singapore to diversify Taiwan’s international trade partnership, while maintaining focus on the U.S. market.
Photo: Economic Development Bureau, Taichung City Government
Mayor Lu also announced that the city government has formed an “Emergency Response Team” and launched six major strategies, including tax relief measures, in response to current trade uncertainties. These strategies aim to diversify export markets and reduce reliance on U.S. demand. The city will subsidize Taichung-based businesses for participation in international trade shows, encouraging them to explore new markets. Mayor Lu expressed her hope for closer collaboration with foreign representative offices in Taiwan, facilitating mutual participation in exhibitions and creating new business opportunities.
According to the Taichung City Government Economic Development Bureau, all three representatives expressed optimism about expanding cooperation, building on existing trade foundations. Taichung is widely regarded as a hub for industry and investment, with many enterprises from Belgium, Japan, and Singapore already operating in the city. Similarly, many Taiwanese businesses have established successful ventures in these countries. The representatives expressed enthusiasm for further collaboration to strengthen economic and trade ties.
The Economic Development Bureau highlighted several notable examples of foreign investment in Taichung. Japanese companies, such as Mitsui Fudosan and MGC Pure Chemicals, have established a strong presence in the city. Belgian companies are actively players in industries like offshore wind energy, bicycle components, and medical devices. Singaporean businesses are involved in areas such as software services, chemical manufacturing, and semiconductor equipment maintenance.
Photo: Economic Development Bureau, Taichung City Government
One recent milestone is Singapore’s ST Engineering Urban Solutions securing the turnkey contract for the Taichung MRT Blue Line BM01 project, which includes the E&M system, depot construction, and main substation.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Mayors Huang Guo-Rong and Cheng Chao-Hsin, Deputy Secretary-General Lin Yu-Hong, and Economic Development Bureau Director Chang Feng-Yuan. The discussions were both dynamic and constructive, highlighting the shared commitment to strengthening cooperation.
Advertorial by Economic Development Bureau, Taichung City Government
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
RSS