Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has shortened his planned trip to Shanghai for the Shanghai-Taipei City Forum to return and manage heightened security following a deadly mass stabbing. The forum remains one of the few cross-strait events attended by officials from both sides, with Chiang attending only the main session on Sunday morning.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an was originally scheduled to attend the Shanghai-Taipei City Forum over Saturday and Sunday. However, according to a press release from the municipal government on Tuesday, he will now fly to Shanghai only for the main forum on Sunday morning before returning to Taipei to oversee heightened security operations.
The Shanghai-Taipei City Forum has been held annually since 2010 and remains one of the few events attended by officials from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, marking 15 years of such exchanges.
The decision follows a deadly mass stabbing incident at Taipei Main Station. Chiang stated that ensuring the safety of citizens remains the “top priority.” The municipal notice explained: “To ensure stability in Taipei and reassure the public, while also balancing the ongoing municipal exchanges through the Taipei-Shanghai City Forum, which has been held for 15 years, he has decided to shorten his personal trip.”
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Chiang reaffirmed that the core spirit of the joint forum was “good cities, good cross-strait relations,” with the goal of continuing municipal exchanges between Taipei and Shanghai to achieve tangible outcomes in cooperation.
This adjustment highlights Taipei's current security challenges while underscoring the persistence of cross-strait municipal ties amid political sensitivities.
