Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) left yesterday for Hawaii to take part in a seven-day academic symposium sponsored by the Aspen Institute, a US think-tank, city government official reported.
The symposium will focus on the trilateral relations between the US, Taiwan and China and will include participants from the three countries.
Ma will also familiarize himself with urban development and tourism planning and facilities in Honolulu to help improve Tai-pei's tourism industry, the officials said.
They added that Ma is taking part in the symposium as a private scholar, but said that since Ma is going to report on the latest developments and prospects for cross-strait relations, he notified the Presidential Office and the Mainland Affairs Council about his Hawaii itinerary.
The mayor and the city government have kept the trip low profile.
Ma said on Thursday that since his trip is a private one, he has no official responsibility to make a report on it to the Presidential Office or the council.
"Since the meeting itself is not aimed at discussing the military strategic relations among three countries, it is not so important in its meaning," Ma said.
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