TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) announced on Wednesday (Dec. 11) that the Taipei-Shanghai Twin City Forum (雙城論壇) will take place on Dec. 17. He emphasized the forum's importance as a platform for cross-strait communication amid rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Chiang stressed the necessity of dialogue to ease regional tensions, stating that dialogue can alleviate regional tensions.
Last year marked Chiang's first time hosting the forum since taking office. He led a delegation of over 100 Taipei City Government officials and experts to Shanghai for municipal exchanges. This year, Taipei will host 102 representatives from Shanghai, including government officials, media, and industry experts. Chiang highlighted the forum as one of the few remaining communication platforms between the two sides and expressed confidence in Taiwan's democratic resilience.
In response to media inquiries about Chinese military activities near Taiwan, Chiang reiterated the need for communication, asserting that the more tense and difficult the times, the more communication and exchanges are needed. He believes that increased understanding is preferable to misunderstandings. However, the Mainland Affairs Council (陸委會) plans to clarify the government's stance on the forum. They have not ruled out canceling the event if China continues its military coercion against Taiwan.
