Taipei City Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) reaffirmed his interest in pursuing the Twin Cities Forum with Shanghai despite heightened cross-strait tensions following recent large-scale Chinese military maneuvers. Speaking at an interview on Wednesday, Chiang emphasized that the forum, now in its 15th year, remains a vital platform for cross-strait communication and exchange.
The Twin Cities Forum was originally scheduled for December 17 in Taipei. However, given the significant mobilization by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) near Taiwan, concerns have been raised regarding the forum’s potential cancellation. Reports have been made that the Mainland Affairs Council is reconsidering its approval for the forum.
Chiang emphasized the forum’s critical role in easing cross-strait tensions, calling it the only remaining platform for communication between the two sides. Stressing that the more tense and difficult the situation, the more essential communication and exchanges become, he points out that communication is better than silence and increasing understanding is better than misunderstanding.
Chiang expressed hope that the Shanghai delegation would successfully visit Taipei for municipal exchanges, underscoring the need for dialogue. He called for confidence in Taiwan’s democratic resilience and practical exchanges from the forum.