Taipei to host Shanghai delegation in rare high level visit

Taiwan's capital will host a rare high level Chinese delegation later this month when a deputy mayor of Shanghai visits for an annual city forum, a trip that will be happening at a time of heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Shanghai Vice Mayor Hua Yuan would visit from Dec. 16-17 for the Taipei-Shanghai City Forum, which was first held in 2010, Taipei city government spokesperson Yin Wei told reporters on Wednesday.

"This year is the 15th time it will be held, and 45 memorandums of understanding have been held in the past which a very good result for city exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait," he added.

China's official Xinhua news agency confirmed the forum would take place in Taipei this year.

"Cross-strait city exchanges are conducive to enhancing the affinity and well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and promoting the peaceful development of relations," it said in a brief report.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an is from the main opposition Kuomintang party, which traditionally favours close ties across the strait and dialogue though denies being pro-Beijing.

Chiang is a rising star in the party and widely considered a future presidential candidate.

He visited Shanghai last year for the same city forum.

China, which claims the democratically governed island as its territory, has been carrying out military activities near Taiwan, including regularly sending fighter jets into the air space around it.

Taiwan's government has pushed to re-open talks with China but Beijing refuses to engage with President Lai Ching-te, calling him a "separatist".

Lai says only Taiwan's people can decide their future.