TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) defended plans Wednesday (April 16) for a controversial forum with Shanghai city authorities despite escalating cross-strait tensions. The Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum (雙城論壇), a rare platform for direct dialogue between Taiwan and China, has become a flashpoint in the island's complex relationship with Beijing.
Chiang, grandson of former authoritarian leader Chiang Kai-shek, emphasized the forum's track record of practical municipal cooperation while pledging to navigate Taiwan's complex legal framework governing China relations. He promised the exchanges would maintain "equality, dignity, goodwill, and reciprocity," principles that Taiwan's government insists upon in any cross-strait interactions.
The forum announcement sparked immediate pushback from Taiwan's central government. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), head of Taiwan's cabinet, warned local governments about national security risks in Chinese exchanges. Chiang fired back, accusing the administration of deflecting responsibility for espionage prevention while pointing to security breaches within ministries controlled by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨), Taiwan's ruling party.
The political tensions escalated as Chiang directly challenged Taiwan's highest offices — the Presidential Office (總統府), National Security Council (國安會), and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部) — to take responsibility for counterintelligence failures. The mayor, widely seen as a potential future presidential candidate, sidestepped questions about his political ambitions, insisting his focus remains "entirely on municipal governance."
In an unrelated controversy highlighting Taipei's politically charged atmosphere, the city-operated Taipei Zoo (臺北市立動物園) found itself embroiled in criticism after promoting Mayor Chiang's free milk program for students on social media. Following accusations of political propaganda from opposition supporters, zoo officials removed the post and issued a statement explaining they had merely intended to support municipal initiatives. ★
