Kaohsiung mayor to visit U.S. to strengthen semiconductor ties

Kaohsiung, March 10 (CNA) Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) will lead a city delegation to the United States starting Wednesday to engage with American industry, government, and academia and enhance the southern city's role in the global high-tech supply chain, the city government said Tuesday.

In a statement, the city government said the trip will focus on deepening the strategic partnership between Kaohsiung and the state of Arizona, specifically regarding advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

The delegation's first stop will be Arizona, where they will meet with various stakeholders to discuss semiconductor and advanced manufacturing cooperation, according to the statement.

The second leg of the trip will take the delegation to San Jose, California for the annual GPU Technology Conference (GTC) hosted by Nvidia Corp. from March 16-19, where Chen is expected to meet with company executives to discuss deeper technological cooperation under the "Smart Kaohsiung Lighthouse Project".

Chen emphasized Kaohsiung is currently at a critical juncture in its transformation toward digitalization and net-zero emissions.

From the advanced semiconductor processes led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to artificial intelligence applications driven by Nvidia, Kaohsiung has established an indispensable role in the global semiconductor and AI supply chain, he said in the statement.

During the visit, Chen will hold discussions with U.S. partners on semiconductor industry resilience, city-level sovereign AI governance and international talent cultivation, with the goal of strengthening Kaohsiung's position in the global high-tech supply chain.

The Kaohsiung City government said the delegation will also include representatives from National Sun Yat-sen University, and Chen is scheduled to visit Stanford University, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona to exchange views with scholars on global industry trends and talent development.