Mayor Alex Yam Ziming of Singapore’s North West District paid an official visit to Mayor Hou Yu-ih on May 18, 2025, where both parties discussed urban governance, economic and trade development, Taiwan-Singapore relations, and other topics.

This year, Singapore and Taichung City Government have maintained close contact, engaging in cultural and urban development. Trade Representative Mr. Yip Wei Kiat visited Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen in March, and they thoroughly discussed the Singapore Great Sale and Taichung Shopping Festival. Soon after, Mayor Lu visited Singapore to exchange experiences with city development and received a warm welcome from Singapore government.

On August 9, Singapore celebrates its National Day. Yesterday (26th), the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei hosted a grand event at the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-Hsin of the Taichung City Government attended the event on behalf of Mayor Lu Hsiu-Yen to send regards and engaged warmly with Trade Representative Yip Wei Kiat of the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei, who presided over the event.

On June 4, Taoyuan Deputy Mayor Su Chun-Pin attended the 2024 World Cities Summit in Singapore to receive the highest A-List City award from the International Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Su emphasized that carbon disclosure acts as a health check for cities; the more transparent it is, the more accurately zero-emission policies can be implemented. Taoyuan is the only city in Taiwan to receive the award this year. In Asia, cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, and Jakarta were among the eight awarded

On April 3, Taichung City Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen led a team from the city government on a visit to Singapore, where they visited a waste recycling facility, the Great Singapore Sale, and the Singapore National Stadium. They returned to Taiwan on the morning of April 6. Mayor Lu expressed her deep appreciation for the warm and thoughtful hospitality extended by the Singapore Government during their three-day visit.

Hsinchu County is a major Hakka region. County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke continues working hard to revitalize the Hakka language and promote Hakka culture. He recently led a delegation to Sabah, Malaysia to visit the Labuan Hakka Association, the Kota Kinabalu Hakka Association, and Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School.

On the path of smart city development, New Taipei City will collaborate with the international organization, Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), to host the “2024 NTPC Smart City Forum and ICF Top7 Global Cities Announcement” this year. This international event will kick off in New Taipei City on June 19th, bringing together experts and leaders from smart cities worldwide to discuss the benefits that AI innovation brings to sustainable smart city governance.

Auckland City of New Zealand and Taichung City have been sister cities since 1996, fostering a close relationship for 27 years. Today (18th), the Auckland City Council Delegation visited the Taichung City Government to exchange ideas on fire safety, economy and trade, education, and transportation. Deputy Mayor Yu-Min Wang expressed welcome on behalf of Mayor Shiow-Yen Lu.

The 31^st Chiayi City International Band Festival is about to kick off on December 15. There are 13 bands and 3 renowned musicians from Finland, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Malaysia participating. Chiayi City Government held the press conference for the festival and invited the 2 golds from All-Japan Marching Contest: Narashino High School Symphony Band and Takigawa II Wind Orchestra & Marching Band to give performances.

The New Taipei City Government continues to utilize information technology and digital tools to create a better living environment for the citizens. This year, the “NewTaiPAY” mobile payment app is nominated to compete with international applicants from 20 countries/regions, including the UK, USA, Brazil, Canada, Spain, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and more in the 2023 International Innovation Awards.