Marc Elrich, the County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, visited Mayor Hou Yu-ih yesterday, engaging in discussions on topics such as business development, environmental conservation, and smart cities.



In his address, Mayor Hou expressed his great honor at County Executive Elrich's visit to New Taipei City Government, as part of his itinerary alongside the visit to the "2024 Smart City Summit & Expo." He highlighted New Taipei's convenient transportation, vast hinterland, and excellent investment environment, which has attracted many tech giants to the area. With Montgomery County renowned for its biomedical industry, Mayor Hou suggested the possibility of future investment outreach to the county.

County Executive Elrich remarked that Montgomery County, as Maryland's most populous county and neighbor to Washington D.C., houses numerous federal agencies and boasts a thriving biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. Noting the similarities between Montgomery County and New Taipei City — both neighboring national capitals and featuring diverse populations — he looked forward to more collaborative opportunities in the future.



Following the afternoon's visit, the delegation toured the Emergency Operations Center on the 9th floor of the city hall, where the Fire Department presented New Taipei City's achievements in smart disaster prevention. The group then proceeded to the Baogao Industrial Park in Xindian.

Today's meeting with the delegation included city officials such as Director-general He Yi-ming of the Economic Development Department, Director-general Yao Ching-Yu of the Secretariat, Deputy Commissioner Chen Guo-zhong of the Fire Department, Deputy Director-general Zhu Yi-jun of the Environmental Protection Department, and Director Chen Fu-tien of the Information Center, all accompanying Mayor Hou.