Courage to Go Beyond, the Pursuit of Excellence
Good morning, Supervisors, Legislator Ming-Wen Chen, Legislator Yi-Yu Tsai, Legislator Yu-Chin Wu, distinguished guests, fellow colleagues from the Chiayi County Government, the media, ladies and gentlemen, and my most beloved people of Chiayi, good morning and good day!
Renewed Commitment to Go Above and Beyond
On this occasion today, I, Chang-Liang Weng, humbly accept once again the trust placed in me from the people of Chiayi County, and I thank each and every one of your affirmation and votes in me and my team with the utmost gratitude. We have gone strength to strength, from "bravely transforming and innovating Chiayi" to "Making Ideas Happen - Transforming Chiayi into a Major Agricultural and Industrial County", and we will bravely go beyond to pursue a better future for Chiayi.
Chiayi is blessed with a pleasant climate and location, which makes it uniquely suitable to the thriving of both humans, livestock, and plants. Chiayi is rich in fertile plains, and these conditions are most suitable for agricultural development. It has therefore come to determine the development pattern of Chiayi; with such ideal conditions, Chiayi has become a designated special agricultural zone , a breadbasket that feeds the nation. However, the end result of this is a massive exodus of people, too much homogeneity in employment opportunities, and good agricultural areas becoming synonymous with backwardness and underdevelopment.
The question of how Chiayi can break free from its predicament in economic development is the responsibility and mission of every person from Chiayi. Our dilemma is that the industry is too singular and not diversified enough to meet the career and development aspirations of the young people of Chiayi, or for those who like Chiayi and want to settle down and develop in Chiayi. However, in order to diversify the industry, we must first face and accept the impossibility of changing the enviable advantages of Chiayi's agricultural conditions, and therefore explore whether the development of large industrial parks can coexist with the agricultural sector. The prerequisite for the development of industrial parks is not to pollute the good land endowed to us by God. While enjoying the benefits of human technological progress, can we at the same time save our land and air from harm.We must seek the possibility of parallel development of agriculture and industry in order to break out of our quandary.
Therefore, first of all, the companies that seek to move into Chiayi County’s industrial parks must demonstrate low energy consumption, low water consumption and low pollution in their practices. We are launching six industrial parks at the same time, and all companies that invest and move in are subject to stringent vetting, and must meet our requirements before they can set up their factory plants.The development of emerging technology industries provides us with the unique opportunity for industry to coexist harmoniously with agricultural development.
The ongoing trade war between the United States and China and the relocation of many major domestic industries to the south, the low pollution of emerging technologies and the advancement of environmental protection technologies have all provided the conditions for us to create opportunities for Chiayi's development. Therefore, the county government team seized the opportunity to make use of the 7,400 hectares of land owned by Taisugar in Chiayi to make up for Chiayi's shortcomings in industrial development .
We have been waiting for this opportunity for more than 100 years, from 1920, when Yoichi Hatta led the construction of the Chianan Canal, which led to the development of Chiayi's agriculture, until 2020, when Chiayi's pivot as a major agricultural and industrial county was established. It took a full 100 years to reach this point.
Over the past four years, whether it was the awarding of a five-star county magistrate rating by Global Views Monthly, garnering second place nationwide for governance by CommonWealth Magazine, or the first place in the nation for public satisfaction on governance by the Association of World News Broadcasters, or the awarding of best county magistrate by Business Weekly for two consecutive years, all public opinion polls indicate that our concerted and determined efforts down this path have been highly recognized and supported by the people of Chiayi County.
Over the past four years, Chiayi has been on the path to transformation. The people of Chiayi are looking forward to the realization of living in a major agricultural and industrial county. The people of Chiayi want to transcend the destiny of an agricultural county,and embrace emerging technologies, smart agriculture and tourism development. Over the next four years, we need to work harder to realize this dream.
But this is a truly worthwhile effort! The Chiayi County Government is the driving force behind Chiayi's progress; everyone of us at the county government must work harder than the people we serve to propel Chiayi’s development. Over the past four years, we have been working hard to develop six industrial parks (Science Park, Machouhou Industrial Park (2nd Phase), Shuishan Nanjing, Zhongpu Gongguan, Minxiong Aerospace and Budai Aquaculture Value Added), four major infrastructure projects (Social Housing, National Treasure Restoration Center, Modern Slaughterhouse and the relocation of the Tea Research and Extension Station), and the drone national team. All of the projects above have been included in our overall plan, and the transformation of Chiayi County has gone from quantitative change to qualitative change. I hope that after the breakthrough of the key point of Chiayi's transformation, we can make progress in all aspects of Chiayi's development through our tireless efforts, so as to together create a better Chiayi.
In the next four years of advancement, we must adopt a new vision in agriculture, industrial development, landscape transformation, urban and rural aesthetics, aging care, diversified education, youth cultivation and development, friendly childcare assistance, and tourism development in order to bring about a profound transformation of Chiayi.
Deepening Smart Agriculture Development for Progressive Farming Practices
With increasingly extreme climate change, shortage of natural resources and manpower, precision agriculture and smart agriculture and fisheries are the invariable roadmap we must strive forward. We shall harness the power of technology into agriculture and fisheries, establish demonstration farms, strongly promote smart agriculture and fisheries, provide subsidies and counseling, and in the future we will expand our capacity to drive the upgrade of the agriculture, fishery and livestock industries.
The Puzi Meat Market will be transformed into a modern slaughterhouse facility with the introduction of HACCP certification system, meat grading and the development of an advanced meat cold chain logistics system. It will be the first meat market in Taiwan to introduce the HACCP certification system and will serve as a model slaughterhouse and meat grading demonstration site for exports.
In addition, we are planning a regional cold chain logistics center in Chiayi County, strengthening brand marketing, promoting agricultural specialization, encouraging research and development, upgrading and transformation of agricultural technology, and increasing the competitiveness of Chiayi County agricultural products. The Chiayi County Agriculture School will continue to nurture a new generation of professional young budding farmers, and the "Chiayum" brand will continue to promote the expansion of our marketing channels. We shall also definitely work with the farmers of Chiayi County to thrive and prosper on this land.
Continue to Enhance Industry Transformation
In the past four years, the industry structure of Chiayi County has undergone a paradigm change. With the development of six industrial parks, Chiayi will showcase eye-catching capabilities and capacities.We will link the existing industries and move towards refinement, intelligization, and sustainability. In the future, forward-looking industry clusters such as digital healthcare, precision care, smart carriers, smart machinery and quantum materials will lead Chiayi's business and technology development, and you will witness an industrial revolution take place in Chiayi County.
Transformation of Cities and Towns
Most of the cities in Taiwan have complicated street grids, a dizzying mix of old and new buildings and mixed pedestrian and vehicular traffic, resulting in low environmental quality.New town development must break away from the logic of urban development in the past. The new "county administrative area" adds 367 hectares of developable hinterland, which we have positioned as new townships of Chiayi Chiayi with diverse development potential.The goal of the their development is based on the spirit of "livable, business-friendly and new green city", in which the concept of future smart and resilient city will take shape.
In addition, every year, we will carry out an overall township landscape transformation project at each key juncture. We will re-examine the landscape of the township from a macro perspective, and deliberate on the overall landscape transformation that the public can "see and feel, and that will help improve the quality of life".This will be a city and township renewal and transformation campaign.
In addition, we need to take stock of the county's overall water space and green park spaces. Therefore, we are constructing a green base system and a blueprint for the overall water environment, incorporating a landscape subtraction perspective to develop the county's water and green space and overall development blueprint. This will help us gradually turn Chiayi County into a sustainable "sponge" county.
Attest Chiayi’s Landscape Aesthetics
We have set up a "Landscape Architecture Consulting Platform", and all major construction and landscape projects of the county government must first be vetted by our commissioned group of landscape architecture advisors through a cross-disciplinary and multi-level brainstorming process, so as to propose specific amendments to allow our public buildings and landscapes to bring about changes to the overall Chiayi landscape in a careful and informed process.
Timely Seniors Care and Integrated Services for the Disabled
The "Prosthodontics Grant for Seniors" was the first official policy I approved when I took office four years ago. To date, more than 16,000 people have passed the screening process. As you know, not every town has a dental clinic, and we have overcome many obstacles to make this benefit available to everyone on a fair basis.From coordinating dentists to visit towns with no dentistry clinics, to the "Oral Health Care Medical Care Bus" reaching dentist-less villages such as Fengshan in Alishan, Laiji, Liujiao, and Dongshi Township, we made great efforts to ensure prosthodontic services are available in every township in Chiayi County. The 24-hour "Indwelling Tube Peace of Mind Service Program" allows Chiayi county residents facing indwelling tube issues to find professional staff for immediate consultation and service at any time, reducing the burden of family care and the cost of medical care for repeated hospital visits. In the future, we will further incorporate nasogastric tube removal training into our program to reduce non-essential nasogastric tube placement through professional rehabilitation training and treatment.
For the care of the physically and mentally disabled, we will set up an "Integrated Welfare Service Center for the Physically and Mentally Disabled" to integrate the scattered resources and provide one-stop services by bringing in various community-based assistive devices services and resources for the physically and mentally disabled.
Education is Key to the Future of Taiwan
"Education" is a project of hope for national progress in Taiwan. That children can receive the best whole person education is key to the betterment of the next generation. In the next four years, we will devote more educational resources to continue to promote bilingual education and strengthen students' oral and practical English skills, so that our children will have more opportunities to go abroad for exchanges and competitions in the future. Secondly, we will strengthen digital learning, introduce AI technology to harness the power of technology to cultivate students' logical thinking and computational thinking. We shall also strengthen principals’ professional leadership competencies, encourage teachers' professional growth, and make good use of alumni, social and community resources so that every child can enjoy learning and show their vitality.
Emerging Development Areas: Empowering Youths Kickstart Their Own Businesses and Careers
In order to empower youth to have better development in Chiayi County, which positions itself as a major agricultural and industrial county,from youth employment, entrepreneurship, capital assistance to settle in Chiayi, every key node must be carefully planned and counseled. We shall also create startup spaces to help young people start their own businesses and fulfill their dreams, and we match budding entrepeneurs with investors so that young people's creativity can be realized. As of today, 630 social housing units are under construction in Minxiong Township. The "Chiayi County Youth Development Advisory Committee" has been established, giving young people the opportunity to put forward their suggestions for the future development of Chiayi County. Through engaging in dialogue between the county government and the young generation, more youth policies can be realized in Chiayi County that better meet the needs of the young people.
A Sound Business Environment and Most Importantly a Great Childcare Environment
We are striving to build a great childcare environment by establishing a quasi-public cooperation mechanism with private kindergartens and promoting the "Building Childcare-Friendly Spaces” Project. 4 infant daycare centers are under development as well as 9 childcare centers. In addition, four childcare resource centers and parent-child centers will be set up to create a friendly childcare environment. In addition to the already operating Puzi Childcare Resource Center, the Minxiong Parent-Child Center will also enter operation next year, and parent-child centers will be planned in Taibao County Special Administrative Zone and Sanhe area of Zhongpu Township.
Enhance the Quality of Tourism and Build a Strong Parent-Child Tourism Brand
The most pivotal undertaking in tourism development is to improve the "quality" of the tourism environment in order to increase the "quantity" of tourists. We have established the "Tourism Academy" and hired professional teachers to guide and counsel the tourism industry to improve their service quality. The stunning natural environment of Chiayi's mountains, seas and plains is God’s gift, and a paradise for ecology and food and agriculture-themed education. Many people come to Chiayi every week to experience our splendid trails and attractions, or take a boat to Waisanding Sand Bar to see the oyster farms and enjoy the freshest seafood. In winter, bird lovers come to spot migratory birds spending the winter in Chiayi. Every year, many people come to Chiayi temples to worship for peace and blessings.Our tea, coffee, cherry tomatoes, Chiayi aurora melon, mullet roe, milkfish and oysters have all become renowned nationwide.The various seasonal events and festivals in Chiayi have created a solid reputation built up over years of successful operations. The Tsou people’s tribal-themed indigenous cultural tourism is becoming more and more popular, so Chiayi offers a lot in terms of travel, food, and fun.
Chiayi's tourism potential is spreading its momentum. In the future, we will deepen the promotion of tourism differentiation and improve tourism facilities, so that family-themed parent-child tourism service can further Chiayi’s reputation as a tourism hotspot.
We have successfully promoted investment in the Chiayi Micro Cultural and Creative Industries Park. In the future, the park will offer a combination of recreational leisure, technology, culture and art. It will include HOLO Park, a naked 3D holographic projection, a hotel and a department store, which will boost consumption and employment opportunities in the county.We are committed to promoting our key tourism axis so that businesses can integrate food, lodging, tourism, shopping and transportation, replacing the previous "silo" approach and moving towards "mutual benefit and prosperity".
Based on the solid foundation we have built over the past four years, I will lead the county government team to continue striving for the county. The people of Chiayi County have highly identified with our vision of transforming Chiayi into a major agricultural and industrial county. The purpose of our transformational work in these four years is to break free from the predicament of Chiayi’s development in the past. For the people of Chiayi, from the pride of its glorious past in an agricultural society, to the sadness of not being able to keep up with an industrialized society, it is prime time to seize the opportunity to change! We have seized the opportunity, we must grasp it firmly and never let go. The goal is in front of us, the vision of becoming a major agricultural and industrial county awaits us, let's go beyond and pursue a better Chiayi together! Thank you all for joining me on this journey to a better future, together!