TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Mayors of Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, and Taoyuan met on Saturday for the Mega City youth conference.
The event was organized by the Taoyuan Rihsin Association and the Aeolian news group for young leaders to brainstorm about the future of the northern Taiwan megalopolis. Former KMT chairman and former New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) served as the host of the event, In News reported.
The metropolitan region encompassing Greater Taipei, Keelung, and Taoyuan is home to around 9.25 million people, accounting for almost 40% of Taiwan’s population. It is generally accepted that a metropolitan area of more than 10 million people qualifies as a megacity.
Over two days, the conference drew Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑), Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng (張善政), New Taipei Deputy Mayor and mayoral candidate Lee Shu-chuan (李四川), and Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), CNA reported. Each leader gave a lecture on governance to attendees.
During his remarks, Chu said the number of people who actually live and work in the region is higher than official figures and exceeds 10 million, per In News. Given the critical importance of the four municipalities to Taiwan’s economy, the Mega City conference is intended to foster greater connectivity and communication among the next generation of political and business leaders.
Speakers at the event noted that the future megacity will be an indispensable driver of Taiwan’s future. Successful, sustainable development requires well-planned infrastructure networks and cooperation among city governments.
Chu noted that each city has its own advantages and unique characteristics. While Taipei City has the highest number of registered businesses, New Taipei is home to the largest number of factories.
Taoyuan has the highest industrial output of any municipality in Taiwan and is also home to the country’s primary international airport. Keelung is a major port city that serves as a critical logistics hub for international trade.
Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng urged young leaders to take a long view of economic development and consider the livelihoods of future generations, rather than just thinking about meeting short-term demands. Taipei Mayor Chiang urged young people not to be constrained by technical or institutional difficulties when implementing solutions, but to focus on practical ways to overcome them, per CNA.
Deputy New Taipei Mayor Lee Shu-chuan called for greater integration and joint development projects among the municipalities to increase livability and attract tourists. On the last day of the event, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu said young leaders must be resilient in dealing with challenges and maintain an unwavering passion for improving the public’s livelihood, CNA reported.
