President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of March 7 attended the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Taipei International Cycle Show at the Nangang Exhibition Hall. The president personally presented the Taipei Cycle d&i awards to representatives from five manufacturers for innovative bicycle designs. Also attending the opening ceremonies to cut the ribbon were Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥), Taiwan External Trade Development Council Chairman Wang Chih-kang (王志剛), Giant Bicycles Chairman King Liu (劉金標), and Taiwan Bicycle Exporters' Association Chairman Antony Lo (羅祥安).
In remarks at the event, President Ma stated that this show is the second largest of its kind in the world, and he is extremely excited and pleased to be able to take part. The president pointed to comments made by Association Chairman Lo and Economics Minister Shih that since the signing of the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement in 2010, exports of bicycles and related items from Taiwan to mainland China have seen considerable growth in terms of both volume and value. This, he said, is an example of the government achieving its policy objective in which it hopes to help Taiwan's people do business and boost Taiwan's competitiveness. This also shows that the government is promoting policies that meet industrial development needs.
President Ma furthermore stated that when he took office in May 2008, he immediately had his administration work to create a bike-friendly environment, which would also help to promote the development of the industry. The initiative included the formulation of plans to construct 2,000 kilometers of bicycle paths, of which 907 kilometers would be in mountainous areas, while the remaining 1,022 kilometers would be along the coast. To date, over 600 kilometers of these bike paths have been completed, and the goal is to create a network that connects all of Taiwan's cities and counties. President Ma said that enthusiasts can now cycle from Taipei to Hsinchu, and in the coming four years the goal is to complete the linkage of the bicycle paths throughout the island. It is hoped that the Tour de Taiwan will become an important competition here as Taiwan looks to become even more internationalized.
The president said that the Cycling Rites of Passage that he has promoted since taking office has been a huge success. In the first year, only 5,000 people took part. In the second year, the number grew to 25,000, and last year the number more than quadrupled to 110,000. This shows that cycling is extremely popular among the public here. President Ma added that he also is a cycling enthusiast. He first began riding bicycles when he was 10 years old, and he now owns three Taiwan-made bikes. The president expressed his belief that bicycling generates wellbeing, as bicycles help the people of Taiwan live a more eco-friendly lifestyle and have a healthier body. In addition, cycling can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of occupation or gender.
President Ma expressed his hope that Taiwan's bicycle industry will continue to move forward and that the bicycle path network will be completed in a timely manner, enabling the people of Taiwan to cycle whenever and wherever they desire. He also said he hopes to see the Taipei International Cycle Show to continue to grow and become the largest event of its kind in the world.
After completing his remarks, the president then toured the exhibition and said he was deeply impressed by the level of innovation displayed by both local and foreign bicycle manufacturers.