Taipei files delegation list for Shanghai forum: MAC

Taipei, Sept. 12 (CNA) The Taipei City government has submitted its list of delegates and travel itinerary for review ahead of this year's Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum, scheduled for Sept. 25-27 in Shanghai, China, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Friday.

MAC, Taiwan's top government agency for cross-strait affairs, confirmed to CNA that it has received the list of officials who will join the capital city's delegation to the forum, along with the travel itinerary for its delegates visiting Shanghai.

It will conduct the required review in accordance with regulations, referring to the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (Cross-Strait Act), MAC said in a statement.

Under Article 9 of the Cross-Strait Act, city mayors and high-ranking civil servants are required to apply for permission to enter into the Mainland Area, with applications reviewed by agencies including MAC, the Ministry of the Interior, and the National Security Bureau.

MAC's confirmation followed local media reports earlier Friday that Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) will leave for Shanghai on Sept. 25 to attend the 16th Twin-City Forum, which will focus on AI and urban governance.

Citing anonymous sources, the reports said Chiang will attend the forum's main event on Sept. 26 and is expected to sign two memorandums of understanding before returning to Taiwan on Sept. 27.

Asked about the trip on Friday, Chiang did not directly confirm whether he is part of the delegation, but said the city government had filed the application and would provide further information when available.

Pressed on his expectations for the forum, Chiang said the city government's consistent position is to conduct exchanges between Taipei and Shanghai "under the principles of parity, dignity, goodwill and reciprocity."

The Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum has been held annually since 2010, with the two cities alternating as the host.

In 2023, Chiang headed a delegation of over 100 to Shanghai, marking his first attendance at the forum as mayor. Last year, a 92-member Shanghai delegation led by then-Vice Mayor Hua Yuan (華源) visited Taiwan's capital.