The 2016 Taipei-Shanghai Twin City Forum kicked off in Taipei on Tuesday. A high-ranking Chinese official -- Sha Hailin -- led a delegation to visit Taiwan on behalf of Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong. This is Sha’s twelfth visit to Taiwan. Sha caught widespread public attention not only because he is in charge of political propaganda, but also because he is the first Chinese official to visit Taiwan since President Tsai Ing-wen took power in May.
Upon his arrival, Sha was met by angry protests organized by pro-independence activists. Protestors holding banners that read “refuse political propaganda” accused Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je of selling out Taiwan. That’s because China considers Taiwan part of its territory even though the two sides have been governed separately for decades. Sha also angered pro-independence circles when he said that cross-strait exchanges and city-to-city exchanges cannot be conducted as though Taiwan and China are separate countries.
Ko, an independent, said that Sha’s trip offers an opportunity, as both sides stand to benefit from exchanges. Ko said that Taipei’s home care services can benefit Shanghai and Shanghai’s training programs for athletes could benefit Taipei.
Ko also responded to criticism of Sha’s remarks about two separate countries, saying that Sha, as a ranking Mainland official, has to make remarks reaffirming Beijing’s stance.
At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Ko called on China to respect Taiwan’s insistence on freedom and democracy.