Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said that in addition to the four reciprocal principles he espoused for the previous twin-city forums between Taipei and Shanghai, another — “mutual consideration” — must be added for the upcoming forum.
Ko was responding to media queries about the upcoming twin-city forum, which is scheduled to start in Shanghai on Sunday.
Ko’s original “four mutual” principles for cross-strait issues are mutual recognition, mutual understanding, mutual respect and mutual cooperation.
“The forum is about exchanges between the two cities, and will not be concerned with high-level political issues,” he said. “It is mainly about the civic interactions between organizations, companies and young people.”
“Only interaction can foster kindness and only kindness can break the deadlock. Everything is at a deadlock right now and there has got to be a turning point,” Ko said, referring to the cross-strait impasse.
Asked whether he is worried about Taiwan’s sovereignty being dwarfed at the forum in Shanghai, Ko said there are no guarantees for hypothetical questions, but that facing the nation’s difficulties squarely is better than hiding from them.
“Everyone has their own stance and problems, but can we find a way that everyone can accept and keep moving forward?” Ko said.
Responding to a question about if China would be willing to show friendliness during the forum, and if he would be willing to act as an intermediary between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, he said: “I am not significant enough [to assume such a role].”
“The goal of attending the forum is simple — only to see if there is room for negotiation in the current deadlock,” he said, adding that if people cannot discuss things calmly, then no solution would be found.
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