The Taipei City Government announced on Monday that the annual twin-cities forum with Shanghai will take place this year on July 2. This year Shanghai will host the forum, which has garnered attention in the face of stalled relations between Taiwan and China.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je says he has expressed goodwill to the city of Shanghai, and that it’s now up to the hosts to show their sincerity.
Taipei City Government’s deputy spokesperson Chen Ssu-yu said Monday that the itinerary will be made public as soon as the details are set. She said Taipei has insisted that the two cities participate on equal footing.
“In the process of making arrangements with Shanghai, the Taipei City Government has insisted on the principles of equality and dignity, so as I have said, this will largely be a meeting between Mayor Ko and Shanghai’s Mayor Ying," said Chen.
"Throughout negotiations and in arranging the time and place, we have continually upheld the principles of equality and dignity for Mayor Ko," she said.
This year’s twin-cities forum will focus on the theme of “healthy cities”, and will touch on issues closely related to the citizens. The forum will cover community health, environmental protection, smart cities and serving the citizens, as well as youth entrepreneurship.
The two cities will sign four memorandums of cooperation to boost exchanges between city universities, and two high-tech districts. They will also pave the way for exchanges in the areas of basketball and consumer protection.
Meanwhile, a youth forum will also be held on the sidelines of the twin-city forum in Shanghai. It will feature a number of ways for young people from the two cities to interact, including street dance.
