Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-Cheng led a municipal delegation on a six-day visit to Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia from June 11 to 16. Focusing on agricultural exchanges, urban governance insights, and industrial partnerships, the tour strengthened Taoyuan’s foundational ties with Southeast Asian nations. The initiative aims to bring back valuable experience and collaborative opportunities to drive Taoyuan’s future agricultural development, housing policies, and industrial upgrading.
Mayor Chang noted that the first stop was Bangkok, Thailand, where the primary focus was exploring the latest international trends in smart agriculture and the plant industry. The visit also served as preparation for the upcoming “Asian Botanical Expo,” scheduled to debut in Taoyuan in July 2026. Jointly organized by the Department of Youth Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, the delegation included eight young Taiwanese farmers. The itinerary featured visits to government, industry, and academic institutions, including Thailand’s Department of Agricultural Extension, the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Cooperatives, and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chulalongkorn University, successfully expanding international horizons and industry networks for Taoyuan’s next-generation farmers.
During the Thailand leg, the delegation observed the operational dynamics of “Bangkok International Exotic Plants Show & Sale” and engaged in in-depth discussions on smart agriculture, youth farmer cultivation, and value-added agricultural marketing. Thai officials expressed strong interest in Taoyuan’s recent breakthroughs in youth farmer guidance, brand marketing, and smart agriculture, proactively proposing the establishment of a regular exchange mechanism. Given Thailand’s vast land and optimal agricultural conditions, paired with Taoyuan’s expertise in tech integration and value-added marketing, both sides see high complementarity and significant potential for future cooperation.
For the second leg of the tour, the delegation traveled to Singapore to attend the “World Cities Summit,” which focused this year on affordable housing and sustainable urban development. As a pioneer of affordable housing initiatives in Taiwan, Taoyuan was invited to share its development strategies for the Taoyuan Aerotropolis, alongside its achievements in water supply resilience, reclaimed water utilization, and affordable housing. The Aerotropolis project integrates a reclaimed water plant and water recycling systems, while actualizing affordable housing concepts through its relocation housing program. These initiatives drew considerable attention from participating global cities, several of which proactively requested further policy details.
Following the summit, the Taoyuan team met with Singaporean government officials to discuss housing governance, gaining deeper insights into the city-state’s public housing (HDB) system and management frameworks. The two sides exchanged viewpoints on housing equity, residential security, and policy execution. Singaporean officials expressed a keen interest in Taoyuan’s affordable housing approach and look forward to ongoing updates on its implementation.
The final leg of the trip took the delegation to Johor, Malaysia, to inspect the Iskandar Malaysia economic zone. Capitalizing on Singapore’s financial strength and Malaysia’s land resources, the zone has emerged as a high-potential hub for artificial intelligence and technology industries. Following talks with the zone’s management authority, both parties agreed to deepen cooperation in industrial investment, talent cultivation, and smart manufacturing. Driven by advance coordination by Taoyuan’s Department of Economic Development and Department of Land Administration, the visit culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Moving forward, Taoyuan plans to invite senior officials from the Iskandar region to visit the city to facilitate concrete industry matchmaking and substantive collaboration.
Mayor Chang emphasized that while the three-nation itinerary was intensive, it yielded fruitful results. The city government will continue to seize international exchange opportunities to learn from global urban governance and industrial trends. By aligning these insights with Taoyuan’s localized needs, the administration aims to secure more substantive partnerships, ultimately elevating Taoyuan’s international visibility and urban competitiveness.