Secretariat, Taipei City Government

On the morning of June 9, Mayor of Taipei City Wan-An Chiang donated 50 YouBikes 1.0 to Saint Kitts and Nevis. Ambassador to Saint Kitts and Nevis Donya Francis accepted the bicycles, which were retired in 2022 but will continue to be used in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Mayor Chiang has always believed that cities can contribute to the international community and attaches great importance to international exchange and cooperation. This year marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Following the invitation of the Embassy of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Taipei donated 50 YouBikes 1.0 to Saint Kitts and Nevis to demonstrate the friendship between the two countries. These YouBikes, which are the pride of Taiwan, can travel overseas and continue to benefit cyclists in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The new prime minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Terrance Drew, has greatly valued education and health among youths. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Youth Empowerment of Saint Kitts and Nevis have been actively promoting the Youth Islandwide Bike Run, which gives Kittitian and Nevisian youths the opportunity to ride bicycles as they tour the islands. Because many Kittitian and Nevisian youths do not have their own bicycles, the donated YouBikes will be a great benefit to local youths and international tourists alike. Saint Kitts and Nevis is located in the Caribbean Sea and consists of the larger island of Saint Kitts and the smaller island of Nevis. The total area of Saint Kitts and Nevis is approximately 261 km2, slightly smaller than Taipei (271.8 km2).

Saint Kitts and Nevis has long been a diplomatic ally of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and has supported Taiwan in international forums on multiple occasions. Recently, Sharon Archibald, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Saint Kitts and Nevis, voiced her support for Taiwan at the 76th World Health Assembly. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Saint Kitts and Nevis and the 40th anniversary of the independence of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Taiwan was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Saint Kitts and Nevis since its independence.

Guests who attended the donation ceremony included Deputy Director-General of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Tzu-Hsin Chang, Commissioner of Transportation Ming-Hong Hsieh, and Taipei City Government International Affairs Advisory Council Chief Executive Officer Eric Chen-Hua Yu and Counselor Gordan Yang.

To ensure that public bicycles are used in a sustainable manner, the Taipei City government has been donating YouBikes 1.0 in good working condition since the YouBikes2.0 program to upgrade the shared bicycles system was completed at the end of last year. Bicycles were previously being donated to indigenous villages or other entities in Taiwan; this donation is the first overseas donation.