Zhu Fenglian Photo: Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council

The 2024 Shanghai-Taipei City Forum was held in Taipei from Monday to Tuesday. Representatives of the two cities had in-depth exchanges and interactions, reached many positive consensuses, signed two memorandums of understanding on exchanges and cooperation, and made new progress in deepening the cooperation between the two cities, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Tuesday.

Zhu added that the forum also brings real benefits to the people of the two cities and was widely noticed and welcomed by compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

As it was Taipei's turn to host the forum, Shanghai, following its past practice and work requirements, organized a delegation to the Taiwan region. However, some of the members of the delegation and journalists were deliberately obstructed by the Democratic Progress Party (DPP) authorities, making it impossible for them to make the trip, Zhu said, adding that the action of the DPP authorities was unreasonable and unpopular.

Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are Chinese and one family, and should have frequent exchanges and cooperation, Zhu said. "We will work with our compatriots in the Taiwan region to adhere to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, oppose 'Taiwan independence, continue to promote cross-Straits exchanges, cooperation, integration, and development for the benefit of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, and advance the national reunification and the rejuvenation of the nation," she noted.

During the forum, the vice mayor of the municipal government of Shanghai, Hua Yuan, said that Shanghai will actively promote itineraries for Shanghai residents to travel to Taiwan, which will definitely include Taipei city, chinanews.com.cn reported.  

"We adhere to the principle that both sides of the Straits are one family. We always respect, care for, and benefit our Taiwan compatriots, and we consistently support the normalization of cross-Straits exchanges, including tourism, in all areas," Zhu said when asked about when Shanghai residents will be able to resume tourist trips to the Taiwan region and the plans for residents of other mainland regions to resume travel to the island of Taiwan.

Zhu added that Shanghai's statement of intent on Taiwan-related tourism during the forum is in line with the common wishes of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits for peace, development, exchanges and cooperation, and is in line with the interests and well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Straits, especially the vast number of Taiwan compatriots. It has also been welcomed by the people on the island and the tourism industry.

We would like to see early resumption of travel to the island of Taiwan by mainland residents, including those from Shanghai, and the DPP authorities should remove as soon as possible the restrictions and obstacles to cross-Straits and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, Zhu said.

The 2024 Shanghai-Taipei City Forum, themed "smart governance, sustainable future," signed the memorandums of exchange and cooperation in the fields of smart healthcare and red panda exchanges and conservation, according the Xinhua News Agency.

According to Hua, this year, more than 500,000 entries have been made by Taiwan compatriots at the Shanghai port, including over 200,000 entries made by youth. Nearly 100,000 of the visitors visited the mainland for the first time. 

Taiwan-based China Times on Monday quoted Bao Chengke, assistant director at the Institute for East Asian Studies in Shanghai, as saying that improved cross-Straits relations can only be achieved through broad civil exchanges. 

The forum also came into the foreign media spotlight with a Reuters report describing it as a rare visit happening at a time of heightened military and political tension between the mainland and the island. 

Yu Chih-pin, deputy secretary-general of New Party, who welcomed the Shanghai delegation at the Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the smooth and successful convening of the forum shows great perseverance of both governments of Shanghai and Taipei. This demonstrated the strong desire of people on both sides of the Straits for peace and exchanges, and showcased the wisdom of the Chinese people. 

The city-to-city forum has long been regarded as the last remaining official dialogue platform between the two sides of the Straits, consistently focusing on city governance.