Magistrate Chiu led a county government delegation comprising of Zhang Zhi-yuan, Secretary General of The Allied Association of Science Park Industries, Huang Zhong-shan, Chairman of Taiwan IVF Group and He Gan-ming, Mayor of Zhubei City, and others, to visit Dave Cortese the mayor of Santa Clara County, Hsinchu County’s sister city, Mayor Cortese led a delegation of 12 councilors on a visit to Hsinchu County at the end of June 2011, expressing a willingness to exchange experience with respect to green transport, disaster prevention and mitigation and other energy saving and carbon reduction matters. The two sides also signed international linking and educational and cultural exchange letters of intent.
Magistrate Chiu explained to Mayor Cortese that green energy optoelectronics, biomedicine, culture-based creativity, tourism and refined agriculture are the five main pillars of the county government’s policies, he also explained that the Ministry of Health and Welfare has approved the establishment of 499 beds in Hsinchu County Health Industry Park. Mayor Cortese commended Magistrate Chiu for his active effort to attract investment and said that next year Santa Clara County will hold a Taiwan Week, inviting him to lead a delegation to take part in the grand occasion. Magistrate Chiu thanked him for the invitation and promised to lead excellent local performing groups to take part to show off Hakka culture and build international links. In a packed schedule, Magistrate Chu also visited Cupertino City mayor Barry Chang and the mayor of Milpitas City, Jose Esteves. Barry Chang is an overseas Chinese mayor; he expressed a willingness to engage in city to city exchange with Magistrate Chiu a leader who seeks to expand his international view and attaches importance to education.
Magistrate Chiu also visited Milpitas City Mayor Jose Esteves, the two sides exchanged opinions on city planning, art and culture and educational exchange. Mayor Esteves presented Magistrate Chiu with the key to the city, representing long-lasting friendship; Magistrate Chiu presented his counterpart with Eastern Beauty Tea to promote Hsinchu’s agricultural products and put Hsinchu County on the international stage.
Hsinchu County has the Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park, National Tsinghua University and National Chiaotong University, nicknamed “Hsinchu County’s Silicon Valley.” Magistrate Chiu visited the HQ of the company Plug &Play in Silicon Valley and Taiwan Innovation Entrerpenuership Center to learn about the latest technology and how to assist young people set up businesses.
Hsinchu County and Santa Clara County became sister cities on March 27, 1995 and have developed a deep friendship, with interaction especially in the last few years.