Tainan City Mayor Huang Wei-che and US Torrance City Mayor George K. Chen signed an international friendship city agreement on Mar. 13. The two cities expect to see more interactions among industries, additional teacher exchange programs, and off-site training plans for athletes.
After thanking Mayor Chen and his delegation for coming all the way from the US, Mayor Huang Wei-che expressed that both Torrance and Tainan value the happiness of their citizens as well as freedom, peace, and democracy. Huang expressed that he is honored that the two cities became signatory cities today and looks forward to more exchanges in technology, economy, culture, and education between the two cities. Tainan is well-known for its rich history and culture, and the locals are very warm and hospitable. The city, which will welcome its 400th anniversary soon, also plays an important part in the current development of semiconductors.
Mayor George Chen of Torrance City remarked that the agreement signed today signifies the beginning of Tainan and Torrance’s friendship and marks a stronger bond between Taiwan and the US. Chen mentioned that he is the first Asian-American Mayor of Torrance City in its 101 years of history and hopes that this new relationship will build a deeper connection between the two cities and let the world see Tainan. Mayor Chen also shared his thoughts on his visit to the Taiwan CAR Lab in Shalun, Tainan, and expects to see more exchanges with Tainan in terms of smart city and semiconductor technologies.
Tainan Legislator Wang Ting-yu, who was present to witness the ceremony, mentioned that Mayor Chen hosted a delegation from Tainan City Council back in 2020 when Chen was serving as Torrance’s city councilor, and today he is happy to see his old friend here in Tainan. Wang also pointed out that in addition to being a historical capital, Tainan is the location of advanced process plants such as TSMC’s 3nm foundry. Since the US is currently focusing on EVs and semiconductors, Wang predicts the two cities will have more frequent interactions that will benefit citizens on both sides.
Torrance City is located in southwest Los Angeles County in California, USA. This area near the Pacific Ocean was established as a town in 1912 and then as a city in 1921. Torrance has consecutively been named one of the safest cities in California and is an important hub for America’s automobile industry and aerospace technology development. Many Japanese and Taiwanese expats choose to settle here. Taiwanese-American Mayor George Chen was born in Taiwan. He was elected Mayor of Torrance City on June 7, 2022, and is the first Taiwanese-American Mayor of the city.