Secretariat, Taipei City Government

On October 21, 2025, Taipei Deputy Mayor Wen-Te Chang represented the Taipei City Government at the 2025 Intercity Collaboration Forum in Hamamatsu, Japan. The forum was organized around two thematic sessions. Deputy Mayor Chang was invited to speak in the session titled “Potential of Expansion and Development of Intercity Cooperation,” where he and Mayor of Hamamatsu Yusuke Nakano each delivered keynote addresses.

Chang’s keynote was titled “Cocreating a Resilient Future: The Power of Intercity Collaboration” and emphasized that cities must strengthen their resilience in the face of multiple global challenges such as climate change and social transformation. As centers of population and economic activity, cities must possess robust adaptive capacity. Such resilience is not limited to disaster preparedness and emergency response; it also serves as the cornerstone for sustainable urban development and improved quality of life through collaboration and innovation.

Chang further emphasized that intercity collaboration is the most powerful driver in cocreating a resilient future. He stated that Taipei will continue to enhance its safety resilience through technology and broad-based civic engagement, foster social resilience through culture and sports, and advance economic resilience through entrepreneurship and talent cultivation. Together, these efforts aim to lead the city toward a more sustainable and promising future.

During the forum, Chang and Nakano also engaged in dialogue, reaching a consensus on intercity exchange, public–private collaboration, and participation in international affairs through the strategic use of international organizational networks.

Prior to the forum, Chang held a brief meeting with Nakano. Chang expressed his appreciation for Hamamatsu’s invitation to participate in the event and conveyed strong expectations for deepening future cooperation between the two cities. Taipei and Hamamatsu have maintained close ties over an extended period, both serving as active members of UCLG and UCLG-ASPAC. Over the past decade, the two cities have collaborated on tourism, youth, and other exchange programs. In 2013, the two cities signed an agreement to promote metropolitan tourism exchange, and in 2023, they further formalized their relationship through a friendship exchange agreement, thereby strengthening their partnership.

In March of this year, Mayor Nakano led a delegation to participate in the 2025 Smart City Summit & Expo. In May, Deputy Mayor of Hamamatsu Yutaka Yamana also headed a delegation to attend both the Taipei International Cities Forum and the opening ceremony of the 2025 World Masters Games Taipei–New Taipei. These visits reflect the strong engagement and friendship between Taipei and Hamamatsu.