On July 31, Taoyuan Deputy Mayor Wang Ming-Ju visited Brno, Czech Republic, where he met with Mayor Markéta Vaňková and other local officials, including Senator Roman Kraus and Councilor Martin Příborský. The meeting was also attended by Ambassador Ke Liang-Ruey from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague. The discussions centered around smart city initiatives, public infrastructure, and urban development.
Deputy Mayor Wang proposed a summer student exchange program aimed at fostering bilateral learning opportunities. He suggested that students from both cities could benefit from exchange programs or homestay experiences during the summer, enhancing their language skills and understanding of social systems and cultural practices. He also mentioned the potential for online language exchange courses to deepen mutual learning.
Wang also noted Brno’s advanced electric train system, pointing out that Taoyuan is currently undertaking a railway undergrounding project, with plans for green boulevards inspired by Brno’s urban development model. He highlighted the similarities between Taiwan and the Czech Republic, such as the use of the same three colors in their national flags and shared features like airports and prestigious universities. These commonalities present opportunities for deeper bilateral cooperation.
Mayor Vaňková fondly recalled her visit to Taiwan last year, emphasizing the strong partnership and cooperation agreements between Brno and Taoyuan. She expressed enthusiasm for further collaboration in various fields. Mayor Vaňková mentioned that Brno is also considering undergrounding its railway and aims to integrate the central train station with bus and high-speed rail lines into a unified system. Given Taoyuan’s ongoing railway undergrounding efforts, she looks forward to a future visit to Taoyuan to exchange experiences and insights.