Shanghai Vice Mayor Arrives for Taipei-Shanghai Forum|雙城論壇20號登場 上海副市長周波抵台

Shanghai Executive Vice Mayor Zhou Bo arrived in Taipei for the 2018 Taipei-Shanghai Forum, which will be kicked off on Dec. 20. Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong says politics should not be discussed during the forum and the focus should instead be on "proper business." In response, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je said, both sides have agreed not to stir controversy during the current uncertain political climate.


Shanghai Executive Vice Mayor Zhou Bo arrived in Taiwan on the morning of the 19th for this year's Taipei-Shanghai Forum. Taipei City Police sent 3,000 officers to Songshan Airport to prevent violence from pro-independence groups and maintain order. Zhou addressed the media at the airport.

I was part of a delegation that visited Taiwan 18 years ago. A lot has changed since then. That time, it took ages transiting through Hong Kong. This time, it only took an hour and a half to get here. This is one of the achievements of the forum.

Zhou said the forum, currently in its ninth year, is a model for cross-strait municipal exchanges and cooperation. Zhou will be in Taiwan for a little over a day. On his first half-day in Taiwan, Zhou visited Delta Electronics and attended a welcome dinner. After the forum on the morning of the 20th, Zhou will visit a senior daycare center and board a flight back to Shanghai at 3:30 p.m. He will be the highest level Shanghai official to attend the forum since then-Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng took part in the inaugural forum in 2010. Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chen Ming-tong told lawmakers on the 19th the forum has his blessing, but also said the two sides should stay away from politics and instead focus on "proper business."

Municipal exchanges are a policy of ours and we will allow (the forum) to be held as long as they stay away from politics and focus on "proper business." There's no need to bring politics into everything.

You could say more economics and less controversy result in smoother sailing. The political landscape has changed massively this year so we should maintain the same tone as in previous years.

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je, meanwhile, told the media this year's forum will maintain the same tone established in previous years and both sides agreed in advance not to stir the pot given the current state of cross-strait relations. Ko said the forum will focus on economic issues and controversy can be kept at bay when everyone is getting rich together.