It's about adding more points to Taiwanese businessmen, and then adding more points. [Upview Direct Attack] The President of the Shanghai Taiwan Affairs Association told Jiang Wan'an that cross-strait relations are good
"This visit can be said to have been fruitful and impressive. I have even begun to think about planning various policies for the future of Taipei City." Yesterday afternoon, after finishing all official trips, Taipei City Mayor Jiang Wan'an told cross-strait media.
From August 29th to August 31st, the Taipei City delegation arrived in Shanghai to participate in the Twin Cities Forum and visited many places in Shanghai to experience the development of the city in person. Before taking the flight back to Taipei, Jiang Wan'an still had some regrets. "Although the itinerary was very fulfilling, there were too many places he wanted to go and see. It seems that he needs to stay until the next time to further understand Shanghai.".
Shanghai has become a highland for Taiwanese investment
Yesterday morning, nearly 50 businessmen from Shanghai and Taiwan gathered at the Puhua Hotel. "Usually, we don't see each other in person, so today we rarely get together," a Taiwanese businessman told reporters. In order to attend the Taipei City Government and Taiwanese businessman symposium, he even postponed the arrangement for "business talks" that day.
"I must arrange time to meet with Taiwanese villagers in Shanghai and listen to the hearts and minds of Taiwanese people who work and work in other places." At the beginning of the symposium with Taiwanese businessmen, Jiang Wan'an came straight to the point. On the one hand, he wanted to know what suggestions Taiwanese businessmen have for the governance of Taipei City Government, and on the other hand, he also wanted to hear their work and life experiences in Shanghai. "I believe Taiwanese businessmen have a deeper understanding of Shanghai than us.".
The symposium will be held in a closed door format. After the end, everyone left with smiles on their faces.
Wang Qiongzhi, Chairman of Taiwan based enterprise Hefu Medical Holdings Co., Ltd., who attended the meeting, expressed satisfaction with the business environment in Shanghai. The policies here, combined with the local cultural environment, make her feel very comfortable doing business in Shanghai. I have been living here for more than 20 years and I am very willing to develop in Shanghai for the long term. Her company was listed on the A-share main board in 2022, becoming one of the 13 listed companies in Shanghai and Taiwan.
In recent years, many Taiwanese companies, including Hefu Medical, have made significant progress in Shanghai. Data shows that Shanghai has approved a total of 19100 Taiwanese funded enterprises, attracting a total contract amount of 46.11 billion US dollars. Currently, there are 30 regional headquarters and 30 research and development centers of Taiwanese enterprises. Shanghai is increasingly becoming an investment hub in the eyes of Taiwanese businessmen.
Looking ahead to the future, attending Taiwanese businessmen look forward to smoother and more convenient exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. "Many Taiwanese companies developing in mainland China require support from Taiwan in terms of technology, raw materials, and talent," said Shi Jiayi, the general manager of Taiwanese company Shanghai Genlai Food Co., Ltd. The development of Taiwanese companies cannot be separated from cross-strait exchanges. In addition, the development of the mainland's economy is very resilient, which is an opportunity that Taiwanese businesses need to seize.
Zhang Jianzhen, the President of the Shanghai Taiwan Association, expressed the sentiments of all Taiwanese businessmen attending the conference, "Good cross-strait relations are about adding more points to Taiwanese businessmen."
Looking forward to deeper communication in the future
Yesterday afternoon, I went to visit Hongxule Neighborhood and Xinjing Five Villages in Changning District, which was the last official itinerary of the Taipei City delegation in Shanghai.
Wu Hongping, Secretary of the Party Branch of Hongxu Residential Area, has been waiting for Taipei guests at the "Habitat Garden" in the community for a long time. This used to be an abandoned pile corner, but now it has become a community garden with trees, flowers, ponds, and bird songs.
This change originated from Wu Hongping's trip to Taipei in 2019. With the help of the memorandum of exchange and cooperation signed at the Twin Cities Forum, Shanghai's neighborhood committee officials and Taipei's neighborhood chiefs approached each other and went to each other's cities to become daily neighborhood chiefs or neighborhood committee officials.
The neighborhood chief from Taipei Songshan District took me to see the community garden, where some vegetables and some herbs were planted, which gave me great inspiration. After returning to Shanghai, Wu Hongping built a "habitat garden" with the support of all parties, providing residents of the community with more opportunities to get close to nature and experience biodiversity.
As Taipei residents, we often say that the neighborhood chief is the largest. As soon as we got off the car, Jiang Wan'an greeted Wu Hongping and visited the "Habitat Garden", the Baby House Nursery Center, and the Elderly Cafeteria to gain a firsthand understanding of the lives of Shanghai community residents.
Community elderly care is also a key focus of the Taipei City delegation's visit. The number of elderly people aged 65 and above in Taipei accounts for 21% of the total population, and they also face the problem of aging. "Taipei will exchange views with Shanghai on long-term care insurance, community elderly care, and installing elevators in old apartments, and promote mutual progress with Shanghai." Jiang Wan'an hopes to have deeper exchanges with Shanghai in the municipal field in the future, so that the elderly can enjoy their later years and enhance the well-being of residents in both cities.
The trip to Shanghai is coming to an end, and many members of the delegation and accompanying journalists expressed regret that the 3-day visit time is too short. Before leaving, many Taipei guests exchanged contact information with Shanghai receptionists, and they agreed, "Next time you come to Shanghai, I'll treat you to authentic small dumplings." "It's a deal. When you come to Taipei, I'll treat you to authentic table beef noodles.".