The 15th Taipei-Shanghai Twin City Forum pushed through as scheduled on Tuesday amid ongoing Chinese military activity in the waters and airspace around Taiwan.  

Held yearly since 2010, the forum aims to facilitate communication and exchanges, with the two cities taking turns hosting. Hosted by the Taipei City Government this year, the forum sparked controversy. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) criticized Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) for not honoring his earlier pledge to cancel the forum if Chinese provocations continued. Several pro-independence groups also protested outside the forum venue, denouncing what they called “unequal exchanges” and rejecting united front tactics. 

During the forum, Chiang emphasized that the forum’s significance extends beyond city exchanges and added that if the twin cities prosper, cross-strait relations prosper. He said that as the democratically elected mayor of Taipei, he must express his expectations for peace and development across the Taiwan Strait. Chiang called on China for more dialogue and less confrontation and military incursions. 

In response, Shanghai Deputy Mayor Hua Yuan (華源) said that people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait have always been one family. He announced plans to actively promote group tours for Shanghai residents to Taiwan, with routes including Taipei. Chiang welcomed the initiative, saying that he supports policies that boost Taipei’s tourism industry and Taiwan’s economy, and would approach them with an open mind.