On July 25th, Taichung City Deputy Mayor Huang Guorong led a delegation to visit Cupertino, a friendly city in Silicon Valley, California. The purpose of the visit was to enhance interaction and friendship between the two cities after the COVID-19 pandemic, and to learn from each other’s strengths and advantages.
Originally, Taichung Mayor Lu Xiu-Yan planned a 10-day visit to the United States. However, due to an approaching typhoon, she had to cut short her trip upon arrival in Seattle and returned to Taiwan alone to oversee disaster prevention work. Deputy Mayor Huang Guorong then took over to continue the visit to the United States with the delegation.
On the day of their visit to the Bay Area, Deputy Mayor Huang Guorong and his entourage met with Cupertino Mayor Sheila Mohan at the Cupertino City Hall. Before the visit, Huang Guorong had conducted in-depth research on the city and found many similarities between Cupertino and Taichung in terms of municipal construction, such as the development of affordable housing and achieving zero carbon emissions. He stated, “Our goals are aligned, aiming to improve municipal governance and city development to enhance the quality of life for residents. In terms of municipal construction, we can learn from each other and improve together.”
Regarding high-tech development, Huang Guorong highlighted that Taichung City is the most livable place in Taiwan due to its pleasant climate. With its port and airport, convenient transportation, and plans for further semiconductor plant expansion, he hopes to attract more high-quality international companies to develop in Taichung.
President of the Cupertino-Taichung Friendship City Association, Hu Weini, mentioned that Taichung is Taiwan’s second-largest city, renowned for its outstanding performance and reputation in various fields such as culture, politics, sports, and education. The friendship city relationship between Cupertino and Taichung has been established for eight years, during which there have been numerous interactions and exchanges between the two cities. As the president for four years, Hu Weini visits the Taichung City Government annually to exchange experiences and share insights.
The delegation’s itinerary in the Bay Area spanned two days. In addition to meeting with the Mayor of Cupertino, Huang Guorong and his team also visited “Tea One Thousand,” a Taichung-based overseas Taiwanese business, and enjoyed freshly brewed tea on-site. Huang Guorong praised “Tea One Thousand” as a shining example in Taichung, operating solely through conscientious management without government funding. The company has opened branches in over 20 countries worldwide.
The following day, Huang Guorong and his delegation were scheduled to visit high-tech companies in Silicon Valley, but the specific itinerary was not disclosed.
According to the information from the Taichung City Government News Bureau’s website, Mayor Lu Xiu-Yan’s visit to the United States originally had four main objectives: to enhance friendship through sister city visits, visit Taichung businesses striving overseas, tour technology hubs on the West Coast, and show concern for overseas compatriots.
In October 2016, Cupertino and Taichung signed a friendship city alliance, leading to frequent exchanges in education and culture between the two cities. Cupertino, renowned globally for its status as a technology hub, is home to headquarters of international giants such as Apple, Symantec, and Seagate and is celebrated as the “heart of Silicon Valley.”
Taichung City is Taiwan’s special municipality and one of the six metropolitan areas in Taiwan. It boasts a 60-kilometer machinery industry belt, housing 1,500 precision machinery enterprises and tens of thousands of downstream suppliers, making it the world’s most densely populated precision machinery industry cluster.