Taipei-Shanghai forum moves online amid pandemic
The 2020 Taipei-Shanghai Forum is held via the Internet on Wednesday due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials and experts from Shanghai and Taipei shared experiences and ideas on topics including anti-COVID-19 efforts and the intelligent economy via the Internet on Wednesday during the 2020 Taipei-Shanghai Forum.
Launched in 2010, the annual forum has been held in Shanghai and Taipei in rotation, but this is the first time the event has moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said at the opening ceremony that the forum is an important platform for cooperation between Shanghai and Taipei and a model for cross-Strait communication.
“Under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year we have an online forum, where experts share wisdom and experiences in pandemic prevention and control and economic cooperation,” said Gong. “I believe the two sides across the Strait will build more consensus and continue working together for the better well-being of our people.”
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je pointed out that the forum has been focusing on people’s livelihood.
“Despite of the pandemic, we continued to organize the forum this year, though via the Internet, to show our goodwill and resolution to keep cross-Strait communication going,” he said.
He said the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are connected by history and culture and have been experiencing close economic exchanges.
“We should be a family, not enemies,” he said. “We should learn from and cooperate with each other to ensure peaceful development across the Strait,” said Ko.
Huang Shan-shan, deputy mayor of Taipei, and Zong Ming, deputy mayor of Shanghai, discussed anti-pandemic measures and achievements in the two cities in their keynote speeches.
In the past 10 years, Shanghai and Taipei have signed 36 memorandums of understanding, deepened their communication and broadened their cooperation in areas including economy and trade, science and technology, education, health care, culture and youth exchanges.
This year, the forum also included four parallel sessions on the topics of health care, industrial and economic exchanges, smart transport, regional governance and cooperation.
