On December 15th 2003, within the tenure of Mayor Chiou Bing Kun, Miaoli City had entered into an alliance treaty to form a sister city with Shimizu Town of Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan through the Rotary Club, who acts as an intermediary. Under ideologies of equality and mutual benefit, the two parties have commenced an extensive exchange in education, culture and industry. They have enthusiastically enhanced the economic prosperity and wholesome of the public between the cities.

Despite the Rotary Club, another private organization that is internationally active is the Youth Business Association. It also contributes its utmost effort to assist Miaoli City in promoting her city exchange. The Youth Business Association has close interactions with private organizations of Uiwang-si in Korea. The friendship between the two cities gradually extends from private organizations to the government sectors. Recently, there are mutual student exchanges between the two cities for a better understanding on educational policies and special features of the other city. It also provides a more intensive knowledge on the ethos belonging to the friendly city. Though the two cities have yet to enter into a formal alliance, they have good interaction. At the beginning of the year, the Mayor of Uiwang-si had led a group to Miaoli for participation in the Folk Street Stepping Event of the Lantern Festival. Such move provides dual benefits of true materialization of city exchange and subordinate to that, cultural exchange.