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Luxembourg members of Parliament visit Taoyuan, praise Taoyuan for correct vision and good execution

  • 發布單位:國際事務科
  • 聯絡人:Winnie Chen
  • 聯絡人電話:03-3322101*6520

Luxembourg Member of Parliament Emile Eicher and four other Members of Parliament visited Taoyuan City Government and Taoyuan North Water Recycling Center today (19th). Members of Parliament praised Taoyuan for its correct vision and good execution in smart city and circular economy. Both sides also exchanged opinions on issues such as water resources, migrant workers, and child birth subsidies. The members spoke highly of this trip, saying that they learned a lot and sought to have more exchange opportunities with Taoyuan.

Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan said that the members of Parliament come from different parties, many of whom are mayors or rising political stars. Luxembourg is highly competitive and an important financial center of Europe. Taoyuan is currently developing two major projects, Taoyuan Aerotropolis and Asia Silicon Valley. It is hoped that in the future, there will be more opportunities of exchange.

Member of Parliament and Mayor of Clervaux Emile Eicher said that Taiwan is implementing the 5+2 Industrial Transformation Plan, and Luxembourg also had a similar project. However, he saw that Taoyuan is very flexible in execution and does not waste too much time on unnecessary formalities, which is something Luxembourg can learn from. Both Taoyuan and Luxembourg share the same goals in circular economy and smart city, and therefore, he hopes that there will be further exchange in the future.

Member of Parliament Aly Kaes is also Chair of Luxembourg North Municipal Wasterwater Treatment Committee, and cares deeply about the issue of water resources. Kaes said that the world should focus not only on fossil oil, but also water resources. He also mentioned that he was amazed at the effort Taoyuan put in the management of water resources when he visited Taoyuan North Water Recycling Center in the morning. In addition, Kaes believed that both sides can build a network to further cooperate and conduct exchange in knowledge, economy, and experience.

Mayor Cheng said that water right in Taiwan is centrally managed, which can help satisfy agricultural, industrial, and household water demand at the same time. Taoyuan is a plateau and is unique in its pond culture. Historically, the number of ponds in its heyday was as high as 10,000. Taoyuan Canal was built in the Japanese occupation period, and Shimen Canal was built postwar. The two canals connected surrounding ponds and formed a pond and canal system, making it a water culture that is uniquely Taoyuan. At present, Taoyuan has approximately 2000 ponds, distributed in urban and rural areas.

Mayor Cheng said that the city government is promoting diverse use of ponds, and therefore, proposed the detention pond project. Ponds that no longer irrigated fields can be transformed into detention ponds to solve the problem of regional water drainage. The One District One Pond Ecological Park Project builds pond ecological parks to provide more leisure space for citizens. Spare water and land space can also be used as squares or leisure facilities, or be built into lakeside trails.

Member of Parliament and Mayor of Dudelange Daniel Biancalana said that he is impressed that the average age of Taoyuan citizens is 38 years old, and that the city is very vibrant, provides many job opportunities, and ranks number one in the number of migrant workers.

Mayor Cheng replied that Taoyuan currently has 110,000 migrants workers from countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Migrant workers are the VIPs of Taoyuan, and therefore, to build a city that is new immigrant-friendly is not just a slogan, just a reality that Taoyuan is building. Taoyuan also established the New Immigrants Cultural Hall and assigns designated officers to assist new immigrants in affairs related to their everyday life.

Djuna Bernard, the only female member of Parliament in the delegation focused her attention on Taoyuan’s childbirth subsidies. Bernard said that Taoyuan’s family policies are modern. Young families need not only economic support in childbirth and childcare, but also relevant mechanisms to balance work and family life. She was curious about the current development of Taoyuan in this field.

Mayor Cheng said that there are many young families moving northward to Taoyuan, and there are also many who move from Taipei because of high living expenses. Taoyuan is now the top choice for young families, and the population has grown 170,000 in the past four years. Taoyuan has implemented many public policies, including deduction amount for families with children before school-age, with the hope of reducing the pressure of young parents, and to allow them to “enjoy a sweeter family life and to have less burden”.

Director-general of Taoyuan City Government Secretariat Yen Tzu-chieh said that Taiwan and Luxembourg have had friendly relations. This visit allows the delegation to know more about Taoyuan. He also hopes that in the future, the two countries can have more practical exchange and cooperation in technology, economy, and culture.

Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan, Director-general of the Secretariat Yen Tzu-chieh, Director-general of the Department of Economic Development Kuo Yu-hsin, Director-general of the Department of Water Resources Liu Jen-yu, Director-general of the Department of Public Information Chan Ho-shun, Chairperson of the Research and Evaluation Commission Wu Chun-ting, Vice President of Taoyuan Metro Corporation Hsu Jun-jia, and Chief Administrative Officer of Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency Li Bo-rong attended today’s event. The delegation included Members of Parliament Emile Eicher, Aly Kaes, Daniel Biancalana, Sven Clement, and Djuna Bernard, and Director of Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office in Taipei Tania Berchem.