Kaohsiung, March 18 (CNA) Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu met in Kuala Lumpur with Mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib Monday to learn about the city's greening experience and invite him to attend the 2013 Asia Pacific Cities Summit (APCS) in Kaohsiung.

Traveling at the head of a fact-finding delegation, Chen visited the Kuala Lumpur city government, where she was given a briefing on the Malaysian capital's urban development plans, according to the Kaohsiung city government.

During the meeting, Ahamad Phesal also expounded on the measures his administration is taking to green the city and led the delegation on a tour of downtown Kuala Lumpur to show off the city's achievements in greening, the Kaohsiung city government said.

Chen said that Kaohsiung has transformed itself from an industrial city into an eco-friendly international metropolis and she also expressed recognition of Kuala Lumpur's bid to become among the world's 20 best cities to live in by 2020.

Ahmad Phesal noted that Kuala Lumpur has 19 parks, which are popular among both local residents and tourists. The city government stipulates that every property development project has to reserve 10 percent of its area for greening. It has also aggressively promoted forestation by setting a goal of planting 30,000 seedlings per year.

Chen said that low carbon and green growth has become an issue of global importance and that Kaohsiung is set to hold the APCS Sept. 9-11, which is expected to attract more than 100 mayors and representatives from the Pacific Rim and more than 1,000 people from the government, business and academic sectors of various countries.

(By Wang Shwu-fen and Y.L. Kao)
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