Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je went to visit Taipei’s sister city of Phoenix, Arizona on Monday. He was met by Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan who greeted him with a friendly hug. But when asked about it afterward, Mayor Ko said he wasn’t used to that type of greeting.
Taipei and Phoenix have been sister cities for 37 years. Thus, it wasn’t unusual for Reagan to greet him with a friendly hug. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton also treated Mayor Ko to a lunch banquet.
After the banquet, when speaking with the press, Ko said he was not used to being greeted with a hug. People also spoke of Mayor Ko’s cycling from the northern capital of Taipei all the way to the southern port city of Kaohsiung in one day. Stanton’s assistant’s wife plans to cycle the same route next week. But Ko suggested that she take her time and give herself 3 days for the route.
Mayor Ko said he loves the sunny weather in Phoenix. He encouraged them to visit Taipei and said they would probably love Taipei as much as he loves Phoenix.