The Tainan City Government held the Tainan 400 Foreign Press Event on Dec. 4 in collaboration with the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club (TFCC). Guests at the event included representatives from the industry, government, and academia as well as correspondents from Nikkei Asian Review, CNN, the New Zurich Daily, and many other foreign media and news agencies. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che and the heads of relevant city government bureaus attended the event and exchanged thoughts on Tainan 400 city governance highlights, global situations, and urban development in the areas of culture, economy, trade, high-tech, and tourism with other participants. The Mayor hopes that this event can introduce Tainan to more international media and show the advantages of Tainan as well as the balanced development of Taiwan.
Pointing out that Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan, Mayor Huang said that this livable city’s unique image is formed by its rich cultural heritage and modern advanced high-tech industries. Four hundred years ago, Tainan and Taiwan had their first interaction with the world; and this year (2024), Tainan not only hosted the Taiwan Lantern Festival again after 16 years but also organized a series of acclaimed major events, including the Taiwan Design Expo and Creative Expo Taiwan, showcasing Tainan’s cultural depth and diverse charm.
Mayor Huang emphasized that Tainan’s high-tech sectors continue to develop and that the Southern Taiwan Science Park’s output value is now the highest in the nation. With the industrial chain strength of the Shalun Green Energy Science City, Tainan shows strong competitiveness in the fields of semiconductors, renewable energy, and AI, which draws investments from major manufacturers from home and abroad. Last but not least, the Mayor invited our media friends to take a stroll and experience the splendor of Tainan. Hopefully, the interactions will inspire new sparks between local and international mindsets.
President Thompson Chau of the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club (TFCC) mentioned that Tainan has experienced several regime changes since the Dutch arrived there 400 years ago. Modern Taiwan’s multicultural background and the formation of its national identity were established on that historical context and the collective efforts of the democratic-minded Taiwanese people. Taiwan is making more frequent appearances in global media, and the Tainan 400 event series is a precious opportunity for people to learn more about Taiwan and explore its diverse definitions and characteristics.
Moreover, President Chau finds that Tainan and York (UK) share similar characteristics, as both cities have rich culture and cuisine as well as a large number of museums and historical sites. The locals are very friendly as well, making the cities ideal global tourist destinations. Chau then quoted President Lai Ching-te’s remarks at the state banquet this year, during which he stated that the Tainan 400 is an important milestone, and the development of Tainan also is a demonstration of the goal of establishing Taiwan as a place where its people can live in peace and enjoy life.
The Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club (TFCC) is an international journalists’ association in Taiwan. Besides organizing various activities and promoting news development, the Club strives to assist foreign journalists and media workers in news collection and information exchange. Its members are mainly correspondents of major foreign media in Taiwan. In addition to attending the press event, the foreign journalist delegations also visited Anping, Southern Taiwan Science Park, and drone manufacturer Hsuan Yuan Technology Co. (in Southern Taiwan Science Park).