Tainan Mayor William Lai says the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should find common ground and set aside their differences. Lai was speaking Monday at a press conference in Taipei.
The mayor had just returned to Taiwan Sunday after ending a two-day trip to Shanghai.
Lai is a rising star in the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). He said the DPP should take an active role in promoting cross-strait exchanges as it will help stabilize bilateral ties.
Lai also said although there have been frequent exchanges between the two sides, Taiwan has become increasingly concerned about cross-strait ties as China only hears certain voices from Taiwan while failing to hear others.
During his trip to Shanghai, Lai met Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong and Fudan University President Yang Yuliang. At a symposium held at Fudan University, Lai said Taiwan’s future should be decided by its 23 million people.
The mayor called his first-ever trip to China successful though he has no plans to visit the mainland in the near future.