Taipei City Government

Leading an 8-member delegation, Representative Iqbal Shoffan Shofwan of the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office Taipei (IETO) arrived at Taipei City Hall to meet Mayor Chiang Wan-an and his cabinet members on June 26. The two sides exchanged views on a wide range of topics related to city administration.

Upon learning that Representative Shofwan had just arrived at his new post in January, Mayor Chiang offered a warm personal welcome to the Indonesian diplomat. The mayor pointed out that city hall has worked closely with IETO, with the most recent collaboration being the “2023 Eid al-Fitr in Taipei” in April. The highly successful event not only helped migrant workers lessen their homesickness, it also enabled local citizens to learn more about the Islamic culture and the Southeast Asian nation. 

Representative Shofwan praised Mayor Chiang for beginning his address at the Eid celebration with greetings in Indonesian, which left a significant impression among the attendees. Building upon the success of the event, IETO have plans to organize an event in August to celebrate the Independence Day of Indonesia, which also seeks to further strengthen exchanges between Taiwanese and Indonesians. He took the opportunity to invite Mayor Chiang to the upcoming event.

The mayor remarked that he will attend if time allows and promised the city’s support for the event. He instructed the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Department of Information and Tourism to assist in areas where IETO have needs. He also emphasized that city hall welcomes collaborations with foreign representative offices in organizing cultural and exhibition activities. 

Chiang also cited the recent plans announced by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to move the capital city from Jakarta to East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. The concept of the new capital is a sustainable forest city. The project shares a common value with Taipei City Government quest to transform Taipei into a green, sustainable, carbon-neutral, and smart city. If there is a need in the future, Taipei is willing to share its experience and work with Indonesia, as it looks forward to strengthening exchanges in the domains of commerce and human resource. 

Taiwan and Indonesia enjoy close relations, and there are over 250,000 Indonesian nationals on the island. Regarding the 27,000 Indonesian new immigrants and migrant workers in Taipei City, the mayor stressed that the city offers a comprehensive care and guidance network which helps safeguard their rights, making these individuals a part of Taipei’s diversified society.