By RK Shih / Staff. Image via KH City Govt.
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) departed for the United States this week, leading a city delegation aimed at strengthening ties with the American technology sector and expanding cooperation in the global semiconductor industry.
According to the Kaohsiung City Government, the trip begins in Arizona, a state that has become increasingly important to Taiwan’s semiconductor ecosystem as companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. expand operations there.
Chen and local officials will meet industry leaders, government representatives, and academic institutions before the delegation then heads to San Jose, California, where Chen plans to attend NVIDIA’s annual GPU Technology Conference (GTC) from March 16–19. During the conference, he is expected to meet technology executives and discuss further cooperation tied to Kaohsiung’s “Smart Kaohsiung Lighthouse Project,” an initiative aimed at applying artificial intelligence and advanced computing to urban management and industry development.
The delegation also includes representatives from National Sun Yat-sen University, and Chen is scheduled to visit institutions such as Stanford University, Arizona State University, and the University of Arizona to exchange views on technology trends and talent development.
Chen has framed the visit as part of Kaohsiung’s broader economic transition toward digital industries and net-zero infrastructure. But beyond the economic agenda, however, the trip is also attracting political attention. Chen is nearing the end of his second mayoral term, and speculation about his future has intensified in recent months. In February, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) remarked publicly that Chen’s “microphone will be bigger in the future,” widely interpreted in Taiwanese media as a signal that the mayor could soon take on a larger national role after leaving city hall.
For now, Chen has emphasized that his priority remains Kaohsiung’s development during what he has called a “critical stage of transformation.” But with high-profile international outreach and open hints from the president about a larger platform ahead, the mayor’s U.S. visit is being watched not only as an economic mission, but also as a possible prelude to the next stage of his political career.
