Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said that he told Chinese officials there should not be any changes in cross-strait exchanges because of the transition of political power in Taiwan, adding that the remark motivated China to continue participating in the Taipei-Shanghai Forum.
Ko made the remark in response to reporters’ questions on how Taipei retained the forum when other municipalities that reportedly invited Chinese officials to visit had been rejected.
“I told them that transitions in political power is a norm in Taiwan. We just had the third transition this year, and I believe there will be more to come. So there is no need to change cross-strait exchanges due to transitions of political power,” Ko said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“They thought that it made sense and agreed to carry on with the forum,” he said, adding that the forum is a regular event that began in 2010.
The mayor reiterated his attitude on cross-strait ties when asked about a Taiwan Solidarity Union remark that the party would stage a protest in the wake of the forum, which is to be attended by a delegation headed by Shanghai Municipal Committee United Front Work Department Director Sha Hailin (沙海林).
“It is better to gain a friend than an enemy. We will approach the event with prudence. It will be a success,” the mayor said.
Separately yesterday, Taipei Deputy Mayor Teng Chia-chi (鄧家基) said that he hoped Taipei and Chinese representatives scheduled to attend the Taipei-Shanghai Forum on Tuesday next week would show mutual respect and understanding by focusing on the theme of intercity exchanges instead of political discussions.
Teng made the remark at a news conference to outline the agenda the city has arranged for the Chinese delegation in response to media queries about whether the two sides had reached a consensus to refrain from talking about politics, in particular the so-called “1992 consensus.”
The “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted making up in 2000, refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
The delegation is to be headed by Sha, who was introduced by China as the representative for Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong (楊雄).
Teng said the purpose of carrying out exchanges is to enable understanding, and that if Sha can understand the forum’s theme of “a vibrant city” through presentations and observe closely Taiwan’s democratic and liberal society, that he believes Sha will not attempt to push China’s political views at the event.
By showing mutual respect and understanding, it would ensure more space for future collaboration and tolerance, thereby facilitating exchanges between Taipei and Shanghai, Teng said.
He said that the city has not yet made any plans to designate space for protests, but that police will be deployed at venues the delegation is to visit to ensure its safety.
Taipei Mainland Affairs Division head Yao Ching-yu (饒慶鈺) said the Chinese delegation is to arrive in Taipei at noon on Monday next week before attending the opening ceremony for the Taipei-Shanghai Students’ Sports Festival at Taipei’s National Yang Ming Senior High School.
The Chinese representatives are to attend an evening banquet at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel presided over by Ko that day, she said.
The main event is to take place at the Regent Taipei hotel, where Teng and Sha are to give 15 minute speeches and sign three memorandums of understanding to enter into collaborations on marathons, film festivals and collaborations between Taipei’s Wenshan (文山) and Shanghai’s Songjiang (松江) districts, she said.
Yao said that Ko would then give a speech before participants attend five subforums on healthcare and sanitation, youth entrepreneurship, culture, transportation and “smart” city infrastructure.
The Chinese officials are to visit Taipei City Hospital and learn about the city’s public transportation systems after the forum and return to China on Wednesday afternoon, she said.
The Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs said it hopes the memorandum of understanding on film festivals would help promote movies and exchanges between workers in the movie industry across the Taiwan Strait when the Taipei and Shanghai film festivals are held each year.
The Taipei Department of Sports said collaboration on the Taipei and Shanghai marathons would see event organizers reserve availability for participants on the other side of the strait and provide them with opportunities to learn from each other’s preparatory work for the events.
Hopefully, exchanges in marathons will serve as a starting point for future collaboration on other sports categories, it said.
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