President Ma Ying-jeou met on the afternoon of September 3 with high-ranking executives from the German multinational Siemens. In addition to praising the heroic deeds of German businessman and Siemens employee John Rabe, who helped to protect Chinese lives during World War II, the president also expressed hope that the ROC and Siemens will strengthen cooperation in the areas of smart cities, next generation manufacturing, and the offshore wind energy industry, thereby helping Taiwan to bolster its international competitiveness.
In remarks, the president stated that on August 14 he awarded a citation to honor German businessman John Rabe, and personally handed the citation to Mr. Rabe's grandson, Professor Thomas Rabe. Siemens Ltd., Taiwan President and Chief Executive Officer Erdal Elver also witnessed the ceremony that day.
Describing Mr. John Rabe's deeds, President Ma noted that the Japanese military occupied Nanjing in 1937, when Mr. Rabe was the chief China representative for Siemens and managing director of its office in Nanjing, and Ms. Minnie Vautrin was the dean of education at Ginling College. Robert O. Wilson, a surgeon at Drum Tower Hospital at Ginling College, along with other American and European nationals in Nanjing at the time, jointly established the Nanking International Safety Zone, which protected Chinese from massacre and rape by the Japanese military.
The president stated that Mr. Rabe, as chairman of the International Committee for the Nanking International Safety Zone at that time, opened his residence to serve as a shelter, housing 600 people. In addition, Mr. Rabe actively oversaw the operation of the safety zone, which covered 3.8 square kilometers and sheltered 250,000 Chinese nationals. John Rabe's deeds were among the most legendary and touching stories of the last century.
The president stated that the ROC and Siemens not only have a long relationship, but also that the two sides still have many opportunities for cooperation opportunities today. For instance, in the area of sustainable energy, Siemens is a leader in offshore wind generation systems, while the west coast of Taiwan presents one of Asia's premier wind farms. The government, the president said, has implemented the Offshore Wind Power Demonstration Incentive Program, and it is expected that by 2030 the installed capacity of wind farms in the Taiwan Strait will reach four gigawatts. This will undoubtedly underpin the vibrant development of offshore wind turbines and related industries here, according to the president.
As for smart cities, the president said that the government has already begun promoting smart cities with 4G broadband applications, which will be driven by 4G information and information communications technology. Besides providing consumers with a more convenient lifestyle, this project will be quite beneficial in transforming Taiwan's ICT industry and economic development, he said. Siemens offers a variety of smart city applications in a number of different industries, such as e-bus, e-highway, building automation control systems, LED smart green buildings, and the energy management of technology factories and data centers. The president hopes that the two sides will strengthen interaction in this regard, thus enabling Taiwan to reach world-class standards in energy conservation, carbon reduction, and smart manufacturing.
President Ma also mentioned that Germany is currently promoting Industry 4.0, an initiative involving the industrial, government, and academic sectors. Last month, the ROC's Executive Yuan approved the Productivity 4.0 project formulated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, under which NT$36 billion will be spent over the next nine years to promote smart manufacturing systems in line with Productivity 4.0 concepts. The government will also establish a Productivity 4.0 service task force to assist specific sectors and promote related concepts throughout the entire industrial sector with the hope of optimizing Taiwan's industrial structure, he said.
Lastly, the president remarked that smart cities, next generation manufacturing, and offshore wind energy are all trends in future industrial development. He hopes that Siemens will continue to participate in the development of related industries in Taiwan and provide technological assistance to enhance Taiwan's international competitiveness.
The delegation included Roland Busch, Member of Siemens AG's Managing Board; Lothar Herrmann, President and CEO of Siemens Ltd., China; and Erdal Elver, President and CEO of Siemens Ltd., Taiwan.