Premier Lin Chuan attended a ceremony today celebrating the founding of two new enterprises that will work together to develop the Asian New Bay Area project in Kaohsiung.
The first company, the Kaohsiung Port Land Development Co. is a joint venture by Kaohsiung City Government and the Taiwan International Ports Corp. The second, the Alliance of Asia's New Bay Area, is a joint effort involving the new land development company and several state-run enterprises, using an innovative business model.
In remarks, the premier said that these new ventures are the foundation of Kaohsiung City's future, and will benefit society as a whole.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu has long wanted to take Kaohsiung City to a new level and develop the Asian New Bay Area, knowing that integrating the harbor, the harbor district and the city itself is no easy task. This is especially true given the number of existing local industries, so transforming the old harbor district into the Asian New Bay Area will be more challenging than other urban renewal projects, the premier said.
Last year, the Kaohsiung City Government also inked a letter of intent with the Ministry of National Defense to jointly develop the site of the ministry's 205 Arsenal, which completed the blueprint for the Asian New Bay Area. The premier then expressed hope that the cooperative efforts of local governments, state-run enterprises and a professional land development company will lead to a new Kaohsiung and important infrastructure projects for the future, serving as a model for Taiwan's other port cities, and even other countries.
Featuring modern architecture such as the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, Kaohsiung Main Public Library, Kaohsiung Music Center and the Kaohsiung Port Terminal, all connected by a light rail transit system, the Asian New Bay Area will give young entrepreneurs a chance to use their creativity and ideas to reshape the region, the premier said.