Secretariat, Taipei City Government

On the evening of March 19, 2025, Mayor Pablo Cawich of Belmopan—a sister city to Taipei and the capital city of Belize, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan—paid a visit to Mayor Wan-An Chiang of Taipei City. He was accompanied by his spouse, Efrain R. Novelo, Economic Development Advisor to the City of Belmopan and former Belizean Ambassador to Taiwan, as well as Councilor Radin Santos. The meeting was marked by a warm and cordial atmosphere, and both parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and deepening the sister-city relationship.

Taipei and Belmopan formally established their sister-city ties in 2019, with Taipei becoming Belmopan’s first sister city. Despite the considerable geographical distance between the two cities, their bilateral exchanges have been frequent and meaningful. In 2019, the then-Mayor Khalid Belisle traveled to Taipei to sign the sister-city agreement in person. His successor, Sheran Palacio, participated in Taipei’s Smart City Summit both virtually and in person on two occasions. Mayor Cawich, who assumed office in 2024, personally led a delegation to attend the 2025 Taipei Smart City Summit. Mayor Chiang expressed deep appreciation for Belmopan’s consistent support of Taipei’s international initiatives. He extended a warm invitation to Mayor Cawich to return to Taipei in May to attend the upcoming World Masters Games, further enhancing opportunities for exchange and collaboration between the two cities.

Mayor Pablo Cawich stated that his visit to the Smart City Summit & Expo had been an eye-opening experience, and he expressed great interest in incorporating several of the innovative technologies showcased at the exhibition into Belmopan’s municipal service systems. He further noted that although Belmopan had recently launched a geographic information system (GIS), the city continued to face considerable challenges in its implementation due to the limited development of the city’s digital infrastructure. During the meeting, he directly sought advice from the Taipei delegation. In response, Commissioner Huai-Tsu Mo of the Taipei City Fire Department affirmed the city’s willingness to share its experience and knowledge with Belmopan. Mayor Cawich also brought attention to his city’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its climate resilience and flood prevention measures. In reply, Commissioner Shyh-Shiun Shyu of the Department of Environmental Protection elaborated on Taipei’s current strategies for addressing climate change and achieving net-zero emissions, offering potential areas for an exchange of knowledge between the two cities.

In addition, Mayor Cawich expressed sincere appreciation for Taipei City’s donation of a fire truck in 2021, noting that the vehicle had significantly enhanced Belmopan’s emergency response capabilities and helped save numerous lives. He inquired whether Taipei might consider donating additional firefighting equipment as Belmopan upgrades its systems. Commissioner Mo responded that the city would review its existing resources and, when feasible, provide further assistance to its sister city.

Mayor Chiang took the opportunity to formally invite Mayor Cawich to lead a delegation in May to participate in the World Masters Games hosted in Taipei. In return, Mayor Cawich extended an invitation to Mayor Chiang to visit Belmopan on a future date. Mayor Chiang noted that he had heard Belize was a remarkably beautiful country and that if he had the opportunity, he would like to visit Belmopan with his family.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of gifts and group photos in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. Later that evening, Deputy Mayor Wen-Te Chang of Taipei hosted a banquet on behalf of Mayor Chiang in honor of Mayor Cawich and his delegation. The two sides further discussed possibilities for expanding their cooperation in various sectors. During the event, Mayor Cawich and his spouse shared that their two sons currently live and study in Taipei and expressed heartfelt gratitude for the scholarship support and care they had received from the Taiwanese government and Taipei City. The dinner lasted approximately two and a half hours and was marked by a warm and congenial spirit.