Research, Development and Evaluation Commission

The 2022 Mayor meeting for the Taipei-New Taipei Collaboration and Exchanges Platform (hereinafter referred to as “the Taipei-New Taipei Platform”)  was held in the Taipei City Government today (March 18). Presided over by Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-Je and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-Ih. The Meeting discussed the progress and results of recent collaborative projects, focused on key points and medium- and long-term goals of future governance, and exchanged views.

Two Cities Governments has successfully promoted 162 co-projects in total since 2015. As of today, 136 co-projects have been completed, and the remaining 26 are still being promoted.  “Happiness is being close to the people and implementing policies in their daily lives. This concept can help  the city progress steadily towards happiness, sustainability, and digitalization, “said Mayor Ko. Looking back over the past 8 years in the TNTP(Taipei-New Taipei Platform), two cities have jointly promoted 17 key achievements, such as Feitsui Reservoir Sharing Project, Zhongzheng Bridge Reconstruction, HPV vaccination program, Fun Pass Taipei, etc. In addition, Taipei City Goverment express appreciation to New Taipei City regarding the assistance during the Taipei 2017 Universiade. The foundation also allows the two Taipei to jointly bid for the 2025 Summer World Masters Games, one of the key tasks of the two cities moving forward.

As well as hosting the Universiade, Mayor Ko noted that since TNTP and Two Taipei City have a tacit understanding, the city can build an epidemic prevention community to face the new Coronavirus epidemic and work together to find solutions. A gift of two books was sent to Mayor Hou by Mayor Ko during this meeting. Ko also thanked Mayor Hou's team for fighting the COVID epidemic together along with sharing Taipei City's experience with epidemic prevention, hoping everyone will keep working together to prevent the COVID epidemic and end this war as soon as possible.

Following the TNTP meeting at the deputy mayor level at the end of December last year, three cases have reached the staged goals, including promotion of Community and Citizen power plants, crime prevention for juvenile students, and communication between Two Cities' organizations. In the near future, Two Taipei will promote six new cooperation projects, including National Cross-border E-commerce Enterprise Selection, Rural community experience sharing, Digital Transformation in Business, Cities Stray Dogs experience exchanging, Green Power Station and Substation, and Adjustment of the number of elementary school classes in common school districts. Both Ko and Hou also instructed that the local health and education departments cooperate to complete Coronavirus vaccinations for students age 12-18. Furthermore, the Two Cities Fire Department is invited to discuss and cooperate on the shared Fire Training Center.

Despite the fact that the epidemic has changed people's lives and had many effects, the crisis is a turning point. Transforming and learning to coexist with the epidemic, saying goodbye to the old normal and welcoming the new normal will be the future government's mission and task, and both cities will continue to pay attention to it. Providing citizens with the services they need, protecting co-prosperity and coexistence, and creating a more convenient and prosperous future for them.