Secretariat, Taipei City Government

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-Je Promotes Tourism with Official Visit to Southeast Asia

Ko Wen-Jen, mayor of Taipei City, visited Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Delhi between 26 March and 2 April. Accompanying him were council members Wang Wei-Zhong, Xu Shi-Xun and Ying Xiao-Wei, along with representatives from the Secretariat and the Departments of Information and Tourism, Economic Development, Social Welfare and Cultural Affairs. The main purpose of the visit was to engage in intercity exchange and promote Taipei tourism in order to attract more Muslim and Southeast Asian tourists. The visit also provided a prime opportunity to advertise the 2017 Taipei Universiade.
The delegation’s first stop was Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. They visited the Cyberjaya Smart City Compound and the Digital Development Bureau on the morning of the 27th, and in the afternoon Mayor Ko signed three MOUs—the City Transportation Experience, the Startup Exchange and Smart City Industries—alongside Dato’Seri Mohamed Azmin Bin Ali, the Menteri Besar of Selangor State. It is hoped the MOUs will promote bilateral exchange.

The delegates arrived in Bangkok on the 28th, where they visited the Thailand Creative and Design Center and the Bangkok Art & Culture Center. A MOU was signed to promote the cultural and creative industries of both countries by setting up channels of communication and exchange between the Taipei Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and the Thailand Creative and Design Center with talent exchange and designer visits. The delegation visited the Marble Temple and the Faculty of Arts at Chulalongkorn University on the 29th, and the Mayor attended a banquet with representatives of the National Municipal League of Thailand and local dignitaries.

On the afternoon of the 30th, Mayor Ko met with the North Delhi City Government and paid an official visit to Mayor Sanjeev Nayyar. Earlier that day, he lunched with Harish Chandra Meena (President of the India–Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Forum), Lok Sabh Meenakashi Lekhi (MP), Rajya Sabha (MP), Ronald Sapa Tlau (Executive Adviser, AIILSG), Hansa Patel, Ravi Guru and Furqan Qamar (Secretary General, AIU). On the morning of the 31st, the delegation attended the 2017 Taipei–New Delhi Economic Cooperation Forum and visited the Indian Institute of Technology later the same day. The next day Mayor Ko visited the Max Super Hospital and met the superintendent Dr. Nalini Kaul to discuss issues relating to the field of medicine.