TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) announced Friday (Aug. 15) his plans to attend the Taipei-Shanghai City Forum in Shanghai from Sept. 25 to 27. The mayor emphasized that municipal exchanges with Shanghai will proceed under principles of equality, dignity, goodwill, and reciprocity amid ongoing challenges in cross-strait relations. Chiang's announcement signals continued city-level diplomacy despite broader political tensions between Taiwan and mainland China.
The mayor delivered these remarks at the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan and Taiwan's Retrocession. Chiang highlighted August 15, 1937, as the first day of the Nanjing Bombing and August 15, 1945, as the date of Japan's surrender. The mayor stated that the Nationalist government never retreated during the eight-year war, ultimately achieving victory in a history that must not be forgotten.
Chiang praised the spirit of the national military, underscoring unity and resilience while stressing that peace comes through sacrifice and the fight for democracy, freedom, and peace continues. Kuomintang Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) also attended the ceremony, exchanging greetings with the mayor. The KMT Taiwan's main opposition party traces its origins to the Nationalist government that fought Japan during World War II. ◼
