None of the five Chinese cities invited to an international forum organized by Kaohsiung have said whether they plan to attend, Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Hsu Li-min (許立民) said on Wednesday.
Kaohsiung sent out invitations to Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xiamen and Fuzhou in June for the Global Harbor Cities Forum it is hosting from Sept. 6 to Sept. 8, but the five cities have neither confirmed nor rejected it, Hsu told reporters at a press conference on the forum.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) said 47 cities in 25 countries have confirmed their attendance of the three-day event, which will cover issues such as industrial transformation, marine tourism and sustainable development.
With the exception of Shanghai, the mayors or deputy mayors of the Chinese cities traveled to Kaohsiung when it hosted the Asia Pacific Cities Summit in 2013, and the city government approached them in the same manner this year, Hsu said.
He said the city holds a constructive and friendly attitude toward China and seeks to narrow the gap between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait by encouraging exchanges.
Earlier this week, Taipei held its annual forum with Shanghai, the seventh since it was launched, but the first after the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came to power in May.
In a city council session on May 31, Chen said she is willing to visit China to promote the forum and invite her Chinese counterparts, as she did in 2009 for the World Games and in 2013 for the cities summit.
Chen was the first DPP local government head to visit China in 2009, after the party lost the 2008 presidential elections, and the trip paved the way for visits by other DPP local government chiefs.
China suspended official dialogue with Taiwan after the DPP regained power with the May 20 inauguration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), whom Beijing blamed for creating the rift by refusing to recognize the so-called “1992 consensus.”
The “1992 consensus” refers to a supposed agreement reached between Taipei and Beijing in 1992 that there is only “one China,” with each side free to interpret what “China” means.
When asked on Aug. 13 about the lack of response from the Chinese cities to Kaohsiung’s invitation, Chen said it would fall short of everyone’s expectations if the situation across the Taiwan Strait remains “stuck,” and the two sides should strive to establish a common ground despite their differences.
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