Representatives of 30 cities worldwide are next month to attend the Global Harbor Cities Forum in Kaohsiung, but China has yet to reply to an invitation to send participants, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) said yesterday.
“Kaohsiung warmly welcomes representatives from Chinese port cities to attend the forum,” she said, adding that there is no need to allow political ideology to muddle the forum’s purpose.
“Port cities worldwide all need to grapple with environmental protection, marine resources protection and other major issues. Regardless of political considerations, there are issues that all port cities around the world face,” said Chen, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party.
Photo: Huang Chia-lin, Taipei Times
Chen made the remarks as China on Aug. 23 is to send Shanghai Municipal Committee United Front Work Department Director Sha Hailin (沙海林) to attend a Taipei-Shanghai forum hosted by Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
Pundits have said China’s decision to send the United Front official to the forum instead of Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong (楊雄) is a way to push Beijing’s political agenda.
Chen said that more interaction with China is needed to overcome the impasse in cross-strait relations.
“To be forever stuck in the current stage of cross-strait relations is not what anyone wants. If there are so many differences on both sides of the Strait, then we need to find commonality within those differences. We need to allow both sides to better understand each other. Only this way can we have the chance to show benevolence toward each other,” Chen said.
She said the Kaohsiung City Government has long fostered positive relations with various Chinese cities and has always welcomed people from those cities.
“I sincerely hope we can overcome the boundaries dividing both sides of the Strait and extend our arms in friendship,” Chen said.
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