Taipei City Government

On March 8, Mayor Ko Wen-je arrived in the US for an 11-day-long visit. Leading members from Taipei Investment Business Alliance Delegation, the group will be traveling to 3 major West Coast cities during this trip, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.
After landing at the airport in San Francisco, the delegation was received by local representatives including Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco Director Joseph Ma and Joint Chairman Hsu Ta-lin of the Sister Cities Committee.
This is the first trip to the US for Mayor Ko after his election. He noted that the three cities on his agenda are all Taipei’s sister cities. As a part of Taipei’s city diplomacy, he will be focusing on the industries on this trip. Noting that Silicon Valley comprises enterprises known for innovation and serves as the home to the highest concentration of start-ups in the world, he believes that there is much to learn for Taipei from San Francisco’s experience.
He added that the purpose for bringing along members of the business delegation is to encourage interaction among private sector members with local biotech firms, either looking for opportunities to invest in the US or inviting American firms to setup shops in Neihu or Nangang.
The delegation will also visit major top academic institutions in the area on this trip, including Stanford, UCLA, and Caltech.