Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Shih Hsin University Professor Frank Pen, the editor of “Remarkable Local Governance”, hosted a press conference to mark the launch of his new book. The event was held at the National Taiwan University Alumni Association Meeting Hall on July 15.
Pen’s new book talks about four municipal leaders in Taiwan, including
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin, Taoyuan County Magistrate Eric Chu, Changhua County Magistrate Cho Po-yuan, and Chiayi County Deputy Magistrate Lee Shi-chin. All of the municipal heads covered in the book attended the press conference.
During his address, Pen stressed that “think globally, act locally” has become the core value of municipal governance. From his perspective, outstanding municipality leaders should possess two characteristics: the individual should have a vision in mind and the ability to execute policies. On the other hand, he or she should not fear making mistakes or apologizing.
Following the opening speech, the four invited guests shared their experiences on administration of the municipal government. Despite the variations in resource and approach, the employment of creativity is the only “blue ocean strategy” for municipalities to achieve outstanding results in governance.
On the issue of Taipei’s future strategies, Mayor Hau indicated that the city government has plans to form a “Greater Neihu Technology Park”, which will double the number of employees working in the park and boost the park’s annual profit to NT$5 trillion. He also looks forward to expanding the number of international flight routes at Songshan Airport in next few years, connecting Taipei to major cities in East Asia.