Mayor Ko urges cross-strait communication during speech at Shanghai forum

Mayor Ko urges cross-strait communication during speech at Shanghai forum

2022-07-19

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je on Tuesday attended the Taipei-Shanghai twin - city forum, which was held virtually amid COVID this year. Ko addressed criticism over his participation in the event, saying that dialogue was important at a time of poor cross-strait relations. He also fired back at critics, accusing them of benefiting from conflicts with China for political gain. The DPP’’s Taipei mayoral candidate Chen Shih-chung has called the summit inappropriate in the current state of Taiwan-China relations.

Ko Wen-je
Taipei mayor
Cross-strait relations have been tense these past few years -- rivalries between both sides have intensified. For example, Taiwan’s efforts to join the World Health Organization, China’s military conducting activities in Taiwan’s southwest waters, China’s import ban on Taiwanese pineapples, wax apples, mangoes and groupers, and so on. These things have all become points of contention that have harmed the feelings of people on both sides of the strait.

In his last attendance at the twin-city forum as mayor, Ko addressed cross-strait conflicts in his opening remarks.

Ko Wen-je
Taipei mayor
Conflicts continue and neither side is communicating – some even use the conflicts as an instrument of political manipulation. This will only cause the cross-strait relationship to worsen. Both sides should cooperate to create mutual prosperity. Communication should be used to resolve differences, and guardrails should be built to manage differences. I believe that communication is better than hate, dialogue is better than confrontation, kindness is better than hatred.

In his speech at the summit, Ko reiterated his past rhetoric on mutual kindness and communication between Taiwan and China. However, his Shanghai counterpart toned down the pro-unification rhetoric that characterized his past remarks at the summit, but emphasized that, quote, “both sides of the strait are one family.”

Gong Zheng
Shanghai mayor
We will uphold the concept of one family spanning both sides of the strait, and, as always, will create a favorable environment for Taiwanese companies to invest. In Mayor Ko’’s speech just now, he mentioned some problems in cross-strait exchanges. These problems have been well resolved in the past. These problems also prove once again that cross-strait exchanges cannot be separated from a common political foundation.

This year’s twin-cities summit was held virtually, and had the smallest scope to date. It was a sudden affair, announced only three days in advance. Taipei Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan was also absent again this year, with Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng taking her place. The summit lasted just one hour.

Ko Wen-je
Taipei mayor
Some people ask why we’re having the summit if relations are bad. Actually, my logic on the issue is the opposite: it’s precisely because relations are bad that we must hold the summit. If things are bad I have to tell you what bothers me about you, and you have to tell me what bothers you about me. If everyone speaks their mind and we can communicate, I won’t dare say that problems will be 100% resolved, but 80% or more of the issues can be resolved. We can resolve these small problems that accumulate over time, and then major issues will be reduced.

Former health minister Chen Shih-chung, who is running for Taipei mayor in the upcoming local elections, has said it is inappropriate for Ko to attend the summit at a time of heightened tensions. He said the summit should only be held if it would have substantial meaning to do so. Meanwhile, Taipei Deputy Mayor Huang has called the summit a window for dialogue, saying that Taiwan should remain open to communication with China.