Members of the New Taipei City delegation meet other members of the multilateral collaboration team in Singapore for the first time, including representatives from Bologna (Italy), Riga (Latvia), Sofia (Bulgaria), Seberang Perai (Malaysia), and Gangtok (India).

The Thematic Regional Workshop hosted by the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) at the World Cities Summit (WCS) took place in Singapore from June 14 to 16, 2026. The New Taipei City Government was represented by Ying-Chang Li, Acting Deputy Director General of the Secretariat, who exchanged insights on sustainable governance issues with representatives from over 40 cities worldwide, including the energy conservation measures undertaken in the city hall building. This was immensely helpful to enhancing the international visibility of New Taipei City.

Spearheaded and implemented by the European Union (EU), the IURC program aims to facilitate experience sharing and collaboration between EU and non-EU cities through a host of mechanisms such as thematic workshops, online conferences, exchange visits, and site visits. In 2025, New Taipei City was invited to participate in the second phase of the program (2025–2027), during which the city would form a multilateral collaboration team with other cities, including Bologna (Italy), Riga (Latvia), Sofia (Bulgaria), Seberang Perai (Malaysia), and Gangtok (India). The team would focus on sharing its policy promotion experience and innovative governance measures related to the circular economy.

This year, the IURC's Thematic Regional Workshop and WCS were held concurrently in Singapore. City representatives came together to discuss future collaboration directions and project planning execution, while also deepening partnerships through face-to-face exchanges. Such engagement would expand inter-city cooperation networks and foster international connections. During the workshop, Deputy Director General Li revealed how the city hall building's electricity consumption, security, and energy conservation measures are managed using technology and a graphical user interface. Furthermore, He also exchanged insights with other EU cities on the digital twin technology that will be applied in the Second Administrative Building in Sanchong District.


Ying-Chang Li, Acting Deputy Director General of the Secretariat, with Pablo Gándara, IURC Team Leader.