Taiwan, the Philippines to hold smart harbor forum in Kaohsiung

Taipei, Nov. 11 (CNA) Taiwan and the Philippines will hold a "smart harbor" forum in Kaohsiung next month to promote cooperation between the southern Taiwan harbor and the Port of Subic Bay, a Taiwanese diplomat said Tuesday.

Lien Yu-ping (連玉蘋), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) Department of International Cooperation and Economic Affairs, said at a weekly briefing that the Taiwan-Philippines smart harbor forum from Dec. 9 to 11 will be joined by over 30 representatives from the Philippines' public and private sectors.

Invitations have been extended to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and to local government officials from North Luzon, she said, but the guest list has yet to be finalized.

According to Lien, the Port of Subic Bay and Port of Kaohsiung are busy harbors situated in important geographical areas in the region, and the forum is aimed at bringing closer exchanges between them on digitalization, automation, and unmanned surface vehicles, Lien said.

She said the upcoming forum is part of the government's ongoing efforts to promote the so-called Taiwan-Philippines Economic Corridor.

The project aligned with the Luzon Economic Corridor, launched by the Philippines, the United States, and Japan in 2024.

It also underscored joint efforts by Taiwan and the United States to bolster cooperation in third countries and in deepening its strategic partnership with the Philippines, according to MOFA.