Twin-City Forum Criticized for Low Efficacy; Taipei City Responds: It's the Only Remaining Official Cross-Strait Exchange Platform
In response to criticism from DPP's Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang that the 'Twin-City Forum has low benefits,' the Taipei City Government countered that it is the 'only remaining official platform for cross-strait exchange,' arguing that over 70% of citizens support the need for communication.
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- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 15:53
- 🔍 Collected: May 14, 2026 at 16:02 (8 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 15, 2026 at 03:34 (11h 31m after Collected)
Taipei, May 14 (CNA/Reporter Chen Yu-ting) - DPP Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang said today that the Twin-City Forum has extremely low benefits and should not be held if it's not effective. The Taipei City Government responded that the Twin-City Forum has achieved results in various aspects such as sustainability, sports, and species conservation, and is the only remaining official platform for cross-strait exchange.
When asked in an interview today if he would stop the Twin-City Forum if elected, Shen Po-yang said that its benefits are extremely low and citizens have little sense of participation. He described it as just an occasion for civil servants from both sides to exchange business cards and recite speeches prepared by their aides, questioning why money should be wasted on this instead of on more meaningful things for the citizens. He believes 'things without benefits should not be done.'
The Taipei City Government responded that since its inception for 16 sessions, the Twin-City Forum's achievements in sustainability, sports, species conservation, and other areas are evident. One representative achievement was getting the mainland to relax regulations on tour groups last year. As for why the benefits of mainland tourists are not seen, Shen Po-yang should be questioning the Mainland Affairs Council and the central government in the Legislative Yuan.
Furthermore, the city government stated that a poll by the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission last year showed that 71.3% of citizens believe 'the more tense cross-strait relations are, the more communication and exchange are needed,' which is a high consensus across ages and ethnic groups. 64.1% of citizens support Taipei City's continued urban exchanges with Shanghai, with support outweighing non-support in all age groups, indicating a positive attitude among citizens towards continuing urban exchanges.
The city government said that since the DPP government took office, the Twin-City Forum is the only remaining official platform for cross-strait exchange. If even this platform is canceled, is the goal to have zero communication and zero dialogue between the two sides? It urged Shen Po-yang to listen more to the voices of the citizens and engage more with municipal affairs to truly understand Taipei. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150514
When asked in an interview today if he would stop the Twin-City Forum if elected, Shen Po-yang said that its benefits are extremely low and citizens have little sense of participation. He described it as just an occasion for civil servants from both sides to exchange business cards and recite speeches prepared by their aides, questioning why money should be wasted on this instead of on more meaningful things for the citizens. He believes 'things without benefits should not be done.'
The Taipei City Government responded that since its inception for 16 sessions, the Twin-City Forum's achievements in sustainability, sports, species conservation, and other areas are evident. One representative achievement was getting the mainland to relax regulations on tour groups last year. As for why the benefits of mainland tourists are not seen, Shen Po-yang should be questioning the Mainland Affairs Council and the central government in the Legislative Yuan.
Furthermore, the city government stated that a poll by the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission last year showed that 71.3% of citizens believe 'the more tense cross-strait relations are, the more communication and exchange are needed,' which is a high consensus across ages and ethnic groups. 64.1% of citizens support Taipei City's continued urban exchanges with Shanghai, with support outweighing non-support in all age groups, indicating a positive attitude among citizens towards continuing urban exchanges.
The city government said that since the DPP government took office, the Twin-City Forum is the only remaining official platform for cross-strait exchange. If even this platform is canceled, is the goal to have zero communication and zero dialogue between the two sides? It urged Shen Po-yang to listen more to the voices of the citizens and engage more with municipal affairs to truly understand Taipei. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150514