TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) on Friday (Dec. 13) called on Taiwan to trust in its democratic resilience and to extend hospitality to all visitors. The upcoming Taipei-Shanghai Twin City Forum (雙城論壇), scheduled for Dec. 17, faced a setback a day earlier as Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) blocked 11 members of the Shanghai delegation, including the director and deputy director of the Shanghai Taiwan Affairs Office (上海台辦) and nine Chinese journalists.
Mayor Chiang expressed regret over MAC’s decision, recalling the warm reception his delegation received in Shanghai last year. He urged Taiwan to ensure smooth municipal exchanges by reciprocating the hospitality shown previously. Taipei City Government spokesperson Yin Wei (殷瑋) criticized the lack of transparency, noting that MAC provided no reasons for the denial nor an opportunity to submit additional documentation. Yin questioned Taiwan's stance, especially since China did not scrutinize the Taiwanese delegation's visit to Shanghai.
Chin Hui-chu (秦慧珠), a Kuomintang (國民黨) Taipei City Councilor, accused MAC of administrative obstruction. She highlighted that the first batch of Shanghai delegates arrived on Friday but only received their visas on Thursday. The forum's timing is sensitive, given recent Chinese military drills around Taiwan and the uncertain foreign policy direction of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Every aspect of the forum is under intense scrutiny, highlighting the significant geopolitical implications.
