蔣萬安市長在美東時間9日晚間，受邀至哈佛甘迺迪學院以“Global Taipei: Bridging Tradition and Innovation”（全球臺北：連結傳統與創新）為題發表演說。蔣萬安表示民主就是臺北的基因，會持續秉持這份承先啟後的信念，帶領台北保持多元、民主與韌性，在變局中穩步前行

 
 

以下為蔣萬安演說全文：

 
 

Global Taipei: Bridging Tradition and Innovation

 
 

I would like to first express my gratitude to the Harvard Kennedy School, the Bloomberg Foundation, and the Fairbank Center for the invitation and arrangement. Of course, I’m also flattered that I’m more appealing than tonight’s Red Sox game against the Baltimore Orioles.

 
 

Taipei is diverse and multi-cultural Not everyone may be familiar with Taiwan. We all certainly live in a world driven by TSMC technology. Not everyone may have visited Taipei, but I’m sure we’ve all heard of Din Tai Fung’s dumpling–xiaolongbao. Taipei is a wonderland. You can find boba tea for $2 and a delicious fried chicken cutlet for $3. You’ll soon realize that the people in Taipei are friendly, welcoming, accepting and food-loving—a spirit that has been passed down for 140 years.

 
 

Some have described the United States as a melting pot, while I believe Taipei is more like a hot pot. Have you had hot pot for dinner before? It comes with diverse ingredients and rich flavors. Young people come of age at the Confucius Temple, the Presidential Office is a Baroque building left from the Japanese era, the Dutch and Spanish once came here seeking their roots, Southeast Asian immigrants and their second-generation descendants have become an important part of Taipei's population, and Indigenous cultures here are linked as far as New Zealand and Australia. This is a city that is both traditional and innovative, Eastern and Western—a truly diverse metropolis.

 
 

As the mayor of this diverse and inclusive city, I’d like to share this cosplay photo of me as Zoro from the Japanese Anime ‘One Piece’ at 2023 Taiwan Pride. Let me know if you like my cosplay (point up). Before Taiwan became the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019, Taipei had already held its first Taiwan Pride parade in 2003. To this day, you can still see the rainbow-colored tiles in front of Taipei City Hall—a symbol of our city’s pride.

 
 

Democracy is the DNA of Taipei A good hotpot offers you a variety of textures and flavors. Taipei is the same. Our friendliness and inclusiveness cultures allow individuals of different ages, genders, ethnicities, and cultures to live comfortably and to express themselves. If you want me to sum up all the above in one word, I would say “Democracy”. Democracy is the DNA of Taipei.

 
 

We continue to deepen our belief in democratic resilience while some have described our Democracy “rambunctious”. I like to think of it this way: Democracy is like a spicy hotpot to people in Taipei. It's not perfect, its spiciness may make you sweat, but you keep coming back for more. And if you dig in for more, you'll realize there's more in it. We believe that democracy, freedom and the rule of law provide the bedrock for sustainable prosperity. Through the bonds of democracy, our hotpot remains ever fresh and never runs dry.

 
 

This way of democratic living creates many connections between Taipei and the United States. For example, voters in Taipei often ask themselves Ronald Reagan's famous question, "are you better off than you were four years ago?"

 
 

As Mayor of Taipei, I have been impressed by Barack Obama's view that “There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America.” This spirit is also a cross-party consensus within Taipei and the foundation of policy discussions. We may debate intensely but we always move forward together. This is our robust democracy.

 
 

The strong cultural ties between Taipei and the US are evident everywhere. Roosevelt Road, which connects many key official institutions and National Taiwan University, is named in honor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The “MacArthur Bridge” connecting Taipei with nearby Keelung City commemorates General Douglas MacArthur. The former residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Taiwan has become “SPOT – Taipei Film House,” an arts and cultural hub, showcasing international cultural works. The former vacation retreat of the U.S. Seventh Fleet Commander is now the “CHING-KUO CHI-HAI CULTURAL PARK.”

 
 

Since I became the mayor, Taipei has seen more connections with Harvard. This year, the Harvard World Model United Nations was held in Taipei, and we also welcomed two outstanding Harvard students to intern at the newly established Department for Youth. Before coming to Harvard today, I also met with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. Her parents were both born and raised in Taipei. As a father of three, I presented her with a commemorative card from Taipei’s parent-child centers. We talked about how to build a family-friendly city, and also compared notes on how to build a resilient city for our future generations.

 
 

Taipei is resilient and safe Whether it's in response to natural disasters, extreme weather, or everyday risks, we invest significantly in reinforcing Taipei's resilience and safety. A concrete example was the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan on April 3rd this year. It’s the most severe one in nearly 25 years. Within 5 minutes, my team and I were all mobilized and prepared to respond, even though the earthquake struck right during rush hour. In Taipei, 'Wherever the mayor is, it is where the Emergency Operation Center is.'

 
 

This incident highlights a common challenge faced by all cities: aging infrastructure. Over 72% of Taipei's buildings are over 30 years old. There was a research report indicating that if a magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes Taipei someday, more than 4,900 buildings would collapse. Earthquakes strike without warning, so urban renewal is essential for enhancing resilience.

 
 

Since 2023, we've rolled out eight urban renewal policies, including an incentive measure called "Disaster-Resilient Urban Renewal” that offers a 30% bonus floor area ratio for buildings that meet criteria in four design areas: earthquake resistance, green building, smart building, and accessibility. We hope this will encourage public participation in urban renewal and lead Taipei toward our dual goals of achieving net-zero emissions and becoming a safer city by 2050.

 
 

Another example: Taipei's original drainage design can only handle heavy rains of less than 78.8mm per hour on average. It has become gradually unable to cope with heavy rains in extreme climates. After thorough research and discussion, I made a decision to allocate $200 million over the next five years for flood control projects. This will increase the city's rainfall tolerance by 13%, amounting to 88.8mm per hour. We also focus on disaster prevention education, enhancing both the physical and mental resilience of the city.

 
 

I believe that every great city is measured by how well it treats its pedestrians. Through coordinated efforts across departments, we have designated this year as the "Taipei’s Year of Traffic Safety" and aim to reduce traffic fatalities by 10%. One notable example is the redesign of the traffic markings outside a baseball stadium. As seen in the pictures, the green pedestrian refuge islands and the organized traffic flow lanes have significantly improved pedestrian safety. This has earned the local positive feedback and the nickname 'Picasso Markings'.

 
 

Taipei is future-oriented Speaking of Picasso, while he may be seen by many of his time as too ‘futuristic’, Taipei aims to be a ‘future-oriented city’.

 
 

We are fully committed to making Taipei an 'AI-driven smart city.' 92% of the world’s most advanced chip production capacity is located in Taiwan. Beyond our critical role in the AI supply chain, Taipei gathers the best talent from across Taiwan, which is why AI giants like NVIDIA and AMD were drawn here.

 
 

Just yesterday, we released Taiwan's first AI Operational Guidelines, marking a key step in integrating AI into municipal governance in Taipei. Civil servants will now have clear guidelines to assess whether the use of AI complies with risk regulations, thereby creating an encouraging environment for more innovation.

 
 

Take the 1999 Taipei City service hotline, for example. It’s similar to Boston’s 311. A team of operators is always ready to answer calls, look up information, and respond to all kinds of questions and needs from citizens. But even the most experienced operator would need time to look up specific details, like the garbage collection schedule for a particular neighborhood, which can waste time for both the operator and the caller.

 
 

Starting this October, we’re rolling out a new service that uses generative AI combined with the city government’s database. When a citizen calls, AI will automatically recognize the speech, search for the answer, and provide the operator with accurate information in real time. This will save time for both sides and improve service quality and efficiency.

 
 

To summarize, I believe everyone has already recognized AI’s presence in Taipei, I mean T-AI-PEI. AI is in Taipei!

 
 

Global Taipei: Bridging Tradition and Innovation Last but not least, I would like to talk about Taipei’s role as a ‘bridge’, bridging heritage and innovation.

 
 

I am a native-born Taiwanese, and I have been fortunate to be shaped by both Eastern and Western education systems. My cultural roots taught me to respect our history and draw wisdom from it; my ‘journey to the West’ has taught me to integrate my heritage into the process of innovation, and create a better Taipei for our future generation.

 
 

During my 10 years in the U.S., I experienced a diverse and enriching life. I earned my JD at Penn Law, worked at a law firm in Silicon Valley, even managed to get laid off there during the subprime mortgage crisis, and ultimately started my own company. These experiences have been invaluable and have deeply shaped who I am today.

 
 

As a public servant, whether as a legislator between 2016 and 2022, or now as the Mayor of Taipei, I draw on this wide-ranging perspective to tackle challenges. My experiences have equipped me with a broader vision, a diversity of perspectives, and innovative thinking.

 
 

I firmly believe in the power of inclusive governance which brings together diverse talents and resources. More importantly, it empowers us towards a resilient leadership to address issues such as declining birth rates, aging urban infrastructure, and extreme climates.

 
 

I will continue to uphold this belief in bridging tradition and innovation, leading Taipei to strengthen its diversity, democracy and resilience. Thank you.

 
 

感謝哈佛甘迺迪學院、彭博基金會與費正清中國研究中心的邀請與安排。當然，有幸的就是看來大家覺得我比今晚紅襪與巴爾的摩金鶯隊的比賽更有吸引力。

 
 

大家不一定熟悉臺灣，但絕對身處於台積電科技驅動的世界；大家不一定來過臺北，但想必聽過鼎泰豐的小籠包。臺北是你們的理想鄉。在這裡你花費2塊美金就能有一杯珍奶、3塊美金就有鮮嫩炸雞排。你不難發現這座城市市民的性格就是好客、包容與...愛吃，而這也是傳承140年的城市精神。

 
 

有人將美國比喻為熔爐，而我認為臺北就像個火鍋。各位吃過火鍋嗎？臺北這個文化火鍋中的食材多元、味道豐富。年輕人在孔廟行成年禮、總統府是日本時期留下的巴洛克建築、荷蘭與西班牙人來此尋根、東南亞為主的新移民與新二代已經是臺北人口的重要組成、原住民的文化連結遠至紐澳。這是一個既傳統又創新、既東方又西方的多元城市。

 
 

作為這座多元共融城市的市長，我要特別分享的就是這張cosplay我扮演海賊王的索隆、出席202臺灣同志遊行。請讓我知道你喜不喜歡這個打扮。在2019臺灣領先全亞洲、率先合法化同志婚姻之前，臺北早在2003年開始了第一次臺灣同志遊行，至今你都能在臺北市政府前看到那道彩虹大道地磚，這是我們城市的驕傲。

 
 

好的火鍋呈現不同食材的口感與味道。臺北也是如此，我們的友善共融，讓不同年齡、性別、族群與文化的個體都能宜居並展現自我。如果要以一個字概括這些臺北的多元特性，我認為就是「民主」。民主就是台北的DNA。

 
 

當外界評論我們的民主「喧鬧」，我們持續深化民主韌性的信仰。我想以此比喻：民主之於臺北市民就像是麻辣鍋。它不完美，會辣得你全身冒汗但又一口接一口，每一口都讓你發現還有更多內涵。我們相信民主、自由與法治才是永續、繁榮的基石。透過民主的羈絆，讓我們這鍋火鍋永不乾涸、永遠新鮮。

 
 

這樣的民主生活方式，也讓臺北與美國有很多連結。比方說在臺北的競選活動中，最常見的一句反思，正是雷根的一句名言「你們的生活有比4年前更好嗎？」

 
 

作為臺北市長，我對歐巴馬演講的一句話印象深刻：「沒有一個所謂自由派的美國，也沒有一個保守派的美國；只有美利堅合眾國」。這種精神也是臺北這座城市內不分黨派的共識，也是所有市政討論的基礎。即使辯論地再怎麼激烈，我們一樣攜手向前。這是臺北強健的民主。

 
 

臺北與美國的文化連結，在臺北市處處可見。連結許多重要官方機構以及臺灣大學的羅斯福路，正是紀念小羅斯福總統；而連結臺北與附近基隆市的重要橋樑「麥帥一橋」正是紀念麥克阿瑟將軍；當年美國大使在台灣的官邸，如今成為藝文聚落「光點臺北」展示國際文化作品；而1950年代協防臺灣海峽的美國海軍第七艦隊司令官度假招待所，如今成為「經國七海文化園區」。

 
 

在我就任市長後，臺北市與哈佛也結下更多緣份。今年的哈佛世界模擬聯合國就在臺北舉辦，同時我們也迎來兩位優秀的哈佛學者，到今年新創設的臺北市政府青年局實習。我今天來哈佛前，也先拜會了波士頓市長Michelle Wu。他的父母正是在臺北出生長大，身為三個孩子的爸爸，我也特別致贈他臺北親子館的紀念卡，我們也交流了不少為下一代打造親子友善與韌性城市建設的經驗。

 
 

無論是因應天災、極端氣候、乃至日常風險，我們對於臺北的安全與韌性建設投入巨大。一個具體的案例就是今年0403臺灣東部發生的大地震，芮氏規模達到7.2級。這是近25年來發生最嚴重的地震。即使地震是在通勤時間發生，我與團隊也在5分鐘內完成全體動員。在臺北「市長在哪、EOC就在哪」。

 
 

這事件也讓一項所有城市共同面對的挑戰成為焦點：基礎建設老化。臺北市有超過72%的房屋屋齡超過30年。研究指出萬一臺北遭遇6.2級以上的地震，可能導致超過4900棟房屋倒塌。地震襲擊沒有前兆，強化城市韌性的都市更新勢在必行。

 
 

自從2023年，我們已陸續推出都更八箭，包含了一項防災型都更的鼓勵措施，能為符合條件者提供30%的容積獎勵，包含四類設計：結構安全、耐候減碳、都市減災、環境友善。我們希望這會鼓勵民眾參與都市更新，並讓臺北向2050淨零碳排與安全之都兩大目標邁進。

 
 

另一個例子是：臺北原本的排水設計平均只能處理每小時78.8mm以內的豪大雨，已漸漸對極端氣候的暴雨力不從心。經過徹底的研究與討論，我下了決議，在未來五年將支出總計2億美金的預算治水。這將提升整座城市的暴雨容受度達13%，也就是提升到每小時88.8mm。我們同樣關注防災教育，同時強化臺北在物理與心理不同層面的城市韌性。

 
 

我相信，每一座偉大的城市都取決於它對行人的友善程度。透過各部門的協調努力，我們將今年定為「臺北交通安全年」，目標是減少10%的交通死亡事故。其中一個顯著的案例是，我們對一座棒球場外交通標線的重新設計。從圖片中可以看到，綠色的行人庇護島和整理後的車流通道顯著提升了行人的安全性，獲得當地民眾的正面回饋，並被暱稱為「畢卡索標線」。

 
 

談到畢卡索，當不少人曾評價他「前衛」，臺北的目標則是成為面向未來的城市。

 
 

我們正全力打造臺北成為「AI驅動的智慧城市」。92%先進晶片產能都在臺灣。除了在AI供應鏈的關鍵地位，臺北匯聚全臺灣最優秀的人才，也因此很早就吸引包含NVIDIA、AMD等AI巨頭。

 
 

就在昨天，我們剛發佈了全臺灣第一份政府的人工智慧作業指引，這相當於臺北以AI導入市政的關鍵一步，有此依據就能清楚檢視各項AI市政應用是否符合風險與規範、打造更能鼓勵創新的環境。

 
 

以1999為例，正如波士頓的311，會由一群接線服務人員，隨時接聽、查詢並回應市民朋友的各項問題與需求。即使再有經驗的人員，面對問到特定社區垃圾清運時間等問題，都需要時間查詢，這對接線員與來電的民眾都是種時間的浪費。

 
 

今年十月我們將上線的服務，就是以generative AI結合市政府資料庫，當民眾來電，AI就會自動語音辨識並搜尋答案提供接線的服務人員準確答案參考，節省雙方時間、增進服務品質與效能。

 
 

做個小總結，我想大家應該早就發現AI在台北的事實，我是指T「AI」PEI。

 
 

最後，我想談談臺北作為橋樑的角色，連接著傳承與創新。

 
 

我是土生土長的台灣人，我有幸接受過東方與西方的教育洗禮。我的文化根源教導我尊重歷史，並從中汲取智慧；而我的「西遊記」讓我學會將傳統融入創新過程，為我們的下一代創造一個更美好的台北。

 
 

在美國的十年裡，我有幸經歷了豐富多彩的生活。我在賓州大學法學院獲得了法學博士學位，在矽谷的一家律師事務所工作過，甚至在次貸風暴期間在那裡被解雇了，並最終創辦了自己的公司。這些經驗非常寶貴，並深刻地塑造了今天的我。

 
 

身為公務員，無論是作為立法委員還是現在擔任台北市長，我都會利用這種廣泛的視角來應對挑戰。我的經驗讓我擁有了更廣闊的視野、多元化的視角和創新的思維。

 
 

我深信集結各方專才與資源的多元治理的力量。更重要地，這讓我以堅韌的領導風格，迎向少子化、城市建築老化、以及極端氣候等問題。

 
 

我將繼續秉持這份承先啟後的信念，帶領台北保持多元、民主與韌性，在變局中穩步前行，謝謝大家。