Secretariat, Taipei City Government

On July 30, Governor Calvo of Guam, a sister city of Taipei, led a group to visit Taipei mayor Ko Wen-Je. During the visit, they signed an economic, travel, and cultural exchange agreement and exchanged opinions regarding cooperation in tourism, medicine, and insurance.
 
Mayor Ko welcomed Governor Calvo’s group and praised the diverse cultures of Guam, which include Spanish, Japanese, American, and indigenous Guamanian influences. The mayor noted that Taiwan has undergone multiple colonial eras, and Taipei is also a multicultural city similar to Guam. The year 2018 marks the 45th anniversary of the sisterhood between Taipei and Guam, and greater cooperation and exchange are expected between the two cities. The visitors from Guam were also welcomed to participate in the 2018 Taipei Water Expo, which was hosted in August.
 
In his speech, Calvo noted that this was his fourth visit in Taiwan as Governor. The year 2018 marks the eighth and final year of his governorship. Calvo expressed his pleasure in visiting Taiwan before the end of his role as Governor and reaffirming the sisterhood between Taipei and Guam. The cities have deepened their bonds and have seen an increase in tourist visits and investment cooperation in the past 45 years. Calvo expressed his anticipation of a continued increase in Guam’s ties with Taiwan in fields such as insurance, medicine, travel, energy, and agriculture. Calvo expressed his plans to strengthen such ties before the end of his term and to visit Taipei in 2019.
 
During the meeting, Calvo revealed that each year approximately 6,000 residents of Guam visit Manila, Philippines for medical service because of a lack of medical resources in Guam. Calvo then commended the excellent quality and reasonable pricing of medical services in Taiwan, which have also earned the praise from the people of Guam. Mayor Ko replied that the medical services provided by the major hospitals in Taipei are comprehensive and that he looks forward to practical collaborations between Guam and Taipei in medical services.