Taipei City Government

Inaugural Address of the Sixth Term Mayor of Taipei City Taipei—a City that Makes Taiwan a Better Place

Vice Premier Chang San-cheng, Mayor Hau Lung-bin, Chairman Soong Chu-yu, Chairman Huang Kun-huei, colleagues at Taipei City Government, my dear citizens, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to thank the people of Taipei for electing me, a non-party candidate, to be mayor of Taipei because you believe in the power of belief. In response to this demonstration of trust, I immediately began to prepare for my assumption of mayoral duties on the very evening I was elected. I took the initiative of building a city government team, who then outlined a new vision for Taipei—transformation in a hundred days, meaningful progress in four years and a bright future in half a century. We want to make Taipei a city that continues to evolve and make progress, but not only that: we also want to prioritize collaboration with New Taipei City, Keelung City, Taoyuan City and Yilan County, to create the Living Circle of New Capitals and work together to make Taiwan a better place.
We believe in open government and public participation, so we have used an open selection process to choose leading experts in a variety of fields who will head our bureaus and offices. We also launched the I-Voting system to select the new director of the Taipei Department of Labor. Democracy is never an easy path. That is why we insist on greater transparency in order to open ourselves up to serious scrutiny. In so doing, we achieve a truer democracy. By being willing to listen to criticisms from all sides and to make adjustments along the way, we shall strive to realize the true values of democracy.
I have already told many of my colleagues in the city government that, during my term, the public servants of Taipei City Government will not be asked or expected to do the bidding of any political party, or to serve politics, or even indeed to serve the mayor. All they have to do is to commit themselves to serving the people of Taipei. That’s why I want to encourage all my colleagues to help unite Taipei City Government as a single body with a single mind: to serve the best interest of the people. Integrity is the basic criterion for the new city administration. But we have to go further and establish a culture of honesty, practicality, innovation and efficiency. In the face of power, my colleagues and I must remain humble and careful. We need to work hard and always keep in mind the dreams and the ideals which make us who we are.
In the twenty-five days between being elected and my inaugural address, my team and I have worked hard to take on all aspects of the city government’s business. As some of you may know, in the past I was a surgeon, and this influences my leadership style, which is to face up to problems, have meaningful discussion based on evidence, make efficient decisions in good time, and solve problems in the simplest and most effective way. I want to urge my colleagues at Taipei City Government to avoid bureaucracy as far as possible and as long as it is good for the people of the city. Let everyone simply do their best, in good faith, and I as mayor will shoulder the responsibility for these decisions.
Bureau and office heads have already discussed the new Taipei City Government administrative plan and reached a consensus for the first hundred days. The “New Ko P Government Plan” will start the engines of reform and promote six major objectives for the city: a just society, a cultural city, health and safety, caring and sharing, community building, and openness and transparency. Green and blue will give way to black and white as we build a just society in which it is possible to do the right thing. We will realize social justice through government-driven urban renewal. We shall respect our history, nurture Taipei’s culture and always bear in mind the kind of Taiwan we are leaving for the next generation.
In order to ensure the safety and health of the people of Taipei, I will personally oversee the Food Safety Commission and take on the planning of the mobile police station. The City Government will collaborate with civic groups to look after the disadvantaged and build our values of caring and sharing. We will integrate smart city and community development plans to build a modernized Taipei. The setting up of the Civil Participation Committee and the disclosure of government information will ensure the people’s right to participate in policy making and budgeting. We are going to reinvent Taipei in my first hundred days in office. And after that, we shall continue to forge ahead.
The changes we make right now secure the future for the next generation. The effort we put in in the first hundred days will make people feel that Taipei City is starting to improve and to grow. The progress we make together over the next four years will help make Taipei City a great city within the next five decades.
People of Taipei, thank you for trusting me; thank you for trusting my team with the future of our beloved Taipei City. A progressive Taipei is what is needed to drive Taiwan’s development. But for now, we have to get to work. Let us work hard and let us work together.
Thank you all for your kind wishes today.