After months of delay, an annual city-level forum between Taipei and Shanghai is now expected to take place at the end of December, though it comes amid a backdrop of tensions in the Taiwan Strait. It's one of the few remaining platforms for government-to-government communication between China and Taiwan at any level.
00:00The Twin Cities Forum between the city governments of Taipei and Shanghai is expected to take place later this month.
00:07It's a very significant event because it's one of the few remaining platforms for government-to-government communication between China and Taiwan at any level.
00:17Beijing cut off all contact with Taiwan's central government in 2016.
00:21The forum is always closely watched by both sides and will be again this year, coming at a time when cross-strait tensions are high.
00:29The focus of the forum is on city-level issues, with the Shanghai and Taipei governments often signing various kinds of cooperation agreements.
00:37This year, Taiwan's mainland affairs council, which handles relations with China, has called on the Taipei government to stay away from national issues and to abide by cross-strait laws.
00:59And Taipei's mayor has confirmed he will stick to local issues and will stay away from politics.
01:17We have been working for the city for 15 years and are focused on the social media.
01:24So I think the US is very clear that the US is the social media.
01:30The US is the social media meeting and the social media meeting.
01:34It's a very clear difference.
01:36It's not a political issue.
01:38This year's forum has already experienced some hiccups.
01:52It was originally scheduled for September, but was postponed at the last minute, because
01:56Taipei said both sides needed more preparation time.
02:00After months of delay, the Taipei city government has confirmed it will now happen on December
02:0427th and 28th.
02:07One cross-strait expert also said it will be important to watch for whether Mayor Jiang
02:11reveals any positions on Taiwan-China issues at the forum, and if he meets any other Chinese
02:17officials when he's in Shanghai, especially national-level ones, which has happened in
02:22the past.
02:24So as the forum finally gets underway, all eyes will be on whether these discussions do stick
02:29firmly to city-level issues, and whether this could become a new political flashpoint as
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