New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih is delighted to renew the sister city agreement with Cincinnati, and, as a sports enthusiast, he unboxes a Cincinnati Reds baseball cap.

This year, New Taipei City and Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrate the 30th anniversary of their sister city relationship. To mark this milestone, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval renewed the sister city agreement with New Taipei City on June 6th, Eastern Time, and declared the day "Taiwan Day." New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih prepared a special 30th-anniversary commemorative porcelain plate from Yingge and a personally signed congratulatory letter, presented by Wang Lu-lin, Supervisor of the New Taipei City Department of Education, symbolizing the longstanding friendship between the two cities.
 
Mayor Hou expressed his delight in witnessing the sister city relationship between New Taipei and Cincinnati entering its 30th year, highlighting the fruitful exchanges over the years. He thanked Mayor Pureval for renewing the agreement and establishing Taiwan Day, which symbolizes the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between the two cities. Cincinnati has always been a steadfast supporter of New Taipei, especially during the pandemic when both parties supported each other. Mayor Hou looks forward to more areas of exchange in the future.


Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval (second from right) signs the sister city agreement and declares the day "Taiwan Day."

Mayor Pureval, born in Ohio, has served as lawyer and special assistant U.S. attorney (SAUSA). Like Mayor Hou, he comes from a background of promoting justice in the public sector. In 2022, he was elected as Cincinnati's first Asian-American mayor and has been dedicated to economic revitalization, racial equality, police reform, public safety, and transportation improvements.

 
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval (right) and Dr. Wang Lu-lin, Supervisor of the New Taipei City Department of Education (second from left), hold the sister city agreement. In the background, from left: Director-general Lei Yen-feng of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago, and Vice Mayor of Cincinnati, Jan-Michele Kearney.
 
Both cities have consistently promoted sustainable development through cross-border connections in economy and culture. Moreover, the iconic John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati and the Crescent Bridge in New Taipei can be described as a symbol of the linkage between the two different places, embracing diversity and differences for a broader future.
 
The 30th-anniversary celebration was made possible with the support and assistance of Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Kearney, Director-general Lei Yen-feng of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago, Deputy Consul Sun Peng-hsiang, Dr. James Chiang, an international education entrepreneur, Dr. Chung Chun-hsien, Honorary Chairman of the Cincinnati-New Taipei City Sister City Committee, Co-Chairs Tsai Yu-huan and Janet Huston, Professor Lin Chun-ching, Ms. Wei Miao-gui, President of the Taiwanese Association of Cincinnati and Overseas Community Affairs Council Member, and her husband Dr. Cheng Shin-chuan, as well as Dr. Wang Lu-lin, Supervisor of the New Taipei City Department of Education. In addition, Co-Chair Tsai Yu-huan personally visited New Taipei City in May to witness the joint signing ceremony of the pen pal sister schools.
 

Dr. Wang Lu-lin (left), representing Mayor Hou, presents the 30th-anniversary commemorative porcelain plate to Mayor Aftab Pureval (right). In the center is Director-general Lei Yen-feng of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago.

Director-general of the Department of Education, Chang Ming-wen, noted that since the sister city relationship was established in 1994, both cities have actively engaged in exchange activities. In 2012, the mayors of both cities signed a memorandum for the "New Taipei City-Cincinnati High School Student Exchange Project," which has allowed over 300 students from both cities to participate in cultural exchanges and broaden their horizons. Yao Ching-yu, Director-general of the Secretariat, highlighted that during the pandemic in 2020, New Taipei donated anti-pandemic supplies to Cincinnati. U.S. Congressman Steve Chabot sent a letter of gratitude to Mayor Hou for his assistance to Cincinnati and supported the U.S. donation of vaccines to Taiwan, initiating a virtuous cycle of goodwill. Mayor Pureval also pre-recorded a speech for the "2022 ING Earth Day Forum in New Taipei," further deepening the friendship between the two cities.