To intensify international exchange and promote smart healthcare, Hsinchu County Government is going to host "International Healthy and Intelligent Cities Summit" from September 28 to 30. With the aim of promoting cooperation and development between Westmont and Hsinchu County, the event will be attended by the Chairman of Westmont Sister City Committee and industry representatives from Westmont, who will have in-depth discussions with local representatives of cultural, educational, medical, international public welfare, and green construction industries. On September 26, just before the summit, Hsinchu County Government released a publication—Hsinchu County Is Now Beautiful and a video—Children's Hsinchu County to showcase the county government's achievements in education, trade, transportation, culture, finance, and tourism.
Hsinchu County Magistrate Chiu Ching-chun shows that he is indebted to the public for the advice and supervision in his term of office. During this 9 years, Hsinchu County has obtained the AFHC Awards for Healthy Cities and the ICF Top 7 Intelligent Communities. Besides, surveys have shown that Hsinchu County comes out on top in terms of happiness and competitiveness. Each achievement, according to Magistrate Chiu, is credited with the support and cooperation of the Council and all the citizens.
Director of General Development Department Chen Guan-yi indicates that Children's Hsinchu County, which features the story of children's happy family life, presents Hsinchu County's achievements in five domains, namely green energy, biomedical science, tourism, cultural and creative industry, and quality agriculture. On the other hand, unlike previous publications, Hsinchu County Is Now Beautiful includes interviews with people from industry, government, academia, research institutes, and the medical field. From their perspectives, we can have a look at the changes and growth of Hsinchu County.
To have a better financial status, Hsinchu County Government has endeavored to cut spending and increase revenues. Since Magistrate Chiu took office, the government has reduced debts of $9.7 billion. Because of the improvement in finance, various major construction projects could be carried out more smoothly. In education, the government has built seven schools and restored over 100 old school buildings. Over the past nine years, the expenditure on education has amounted to $6.1 billion, which accounts for 48% of the total budget. In economic development, Hsinchu County is ranked No. 1 in terms of investment promotion and the growth rate of wholesale and retail business, which leads to a high net migration rate and a low unemployment rate. As for infrastructure, Hsinchu County boasts Taiwan's greatest effectiveness of river restoration and the highest ratio of flood control area to its territory. Besides, the government has planned "the seven horizontal and seven vertical roads," which form a great public transport network. Thirteen bridges, a suspension bridge, a tunnel, and the sewer systems in Zhubei and Zhudong have also been built one after another. When it comes to culture, Hsinchu County has claimed the 1st Golden Village Award, connected multiple cultures, and promoted cultural tourism along Hakka Romantic Avenue.
Furthermore, Hsinchu County government has launched a few BOT projects, such as the Civil Sports Center and a shopping mall, to provide better amenities for the citizens. With the increase in population, the great demand of healthcare has motivated the government to develop its healthcare industry. China Medical University Hospital and National Taiwan University Hospital have set up their branches here, and several prestigious biomedical companies and research institutes have also been established in Hsinchu County. The development of healthcare industry not only increases hospital capacities but also improves medical technologies.
The publication and video illustrate the reforms and progress of Hsinchu County. It is hoped that we can create a happy, livable, and promising world-class city for our children!