Secretariat, Taipei City Government

On Feb. 7, 2024, Mayor Wan-An Chiang of Taipei City extended a warm welcome to Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike and her delegation. Chiang also expressed regret for being unable to personally attend last year’s Global City Network for Sustainability (G-NETs) summit in Tokyo on account of his busy office duties. However, he deeply appreciated Governor Koike’s warm invitation and looked forward to discussing urban governance concepts and developmental directions with her later today.

Chiang first expressed his gratitude for the governor’s long-term support and concern for Taiwan. He highlighted her proactive assistance during the 921 earthquake, which ensured the efficient transportation of 1000 prefabricated houses from Japan to Taiwan for the resettlement of disaster victims. Chiang emphasized that the friendship between Taiwan and Japan represents a mutual understanding between the two governments and societies. He also anticipated deeper and more comprehensive exchange and collaboration activities between Taipei and Tokyo in the future. 

Chiang emphasized Taipei’s progress toward becoming a city that prioritizes safety, sports, and the future. The city has established close collaboration with Tokyo in disaster prevention and urban governance, fostering a continuous exchange of knowledge and experience. He then used an example to explain his point, stating that as a part of the efforts to prepare for various natural disasters and extreme weather conditions, Taipei City Fire Department had been invited for 15 consecutive years until 2023 to participate in disaster prevention drills in Tokyo. Furthermore, the two cities share their experiences and insights at the Crisis Management Conference with other member cities every year. Later today, Governor Koike is scheduled to visit the Emergency Operations Center of Taipei City.

Taipei will host the World Masters Games in 2025, and in the same year, Tokyo will host the Deaflympics. These two international sports events provide both cities with more opportunities for exchange and collaboration in sports development. Additionally, Mayor Chiang mentioned that Wei Yin, the spokesperson of Taipei City Government, participated in a senior officials meeting of the G-NETs last week and found inspiration in the concepts of Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo (SusHi Tech) and the Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB). To realize the vision of building a city of the future, Taipei is committed to the two primary policy goals of fostering a startup friendly environment and becoming an artificial intelligence-oriented city. Chiang was confident that Taipei and Tokyo will have more opportunities for exchange and collaboration in the field of startups.

Once again, Mayor Chiang warmly welcomed Governor Koike and the distinguished guests from Japan. He wished them a happy Chinese New Year and success in the upcoming year. Looking forward to the Year of the Dragon, he hoped that the two cities can further enhance their collaboration and jointly create a brighter future on the foundation of their friendship. 

In the post-meeting joint media interview, a reporter of Fuji Television Network asked about the purpose of the meeting between Mayor Chiang and Governor Koike. Koike responded that they exchanged views on the shared challenges faced by the two cities, including disaster prevention, population policies, and sustainable environmental development. Their discussion focused on in-depth collaboration between the two cities for future events such as the 2025 Tokyo Deaflympics and upcoming World Masters Games in Taipei. 

Mayor Chiang expressed deep admiration for Governor Koike’s experience in urban governance. Among the topics covered in today’s meeting, which included disaster prevention, population policies, startup industries, and sustainable environmental development, Chiang highlighted the effectiveness of Governor Koike’s initiative to promote egg freezing subsidies. He also acknowledged her efforts in promoting sustainable awareness through initiatives such as the Cool Biz campaign (encouraging an informal dress code to reduce air conditioning demand and achieve carbon reduction), and he expressed his hope for further exchange and collaboration in the future.