TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei police deployed 85 officers at Songshan Airport (松山機場) and assigned 30 officers to the Grand Hotel Taipei (圓山飯店) as delegates from Shanghai arrived in Taipei on Monday (Dec. 16). Totaling 235 police personnel to ensure security, Taiwanese authorities are on high alert ahead of the Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum set for the next day.
The visit aims to foster cross-strait relations through dialogue and cultural exchange. The Shanghai delegation, led by Vice Mayor Hua Yuan (華源), includes advance team members. It comprises 91 individuals who will visit the Kuang Tzu Po Ai area (廣慈博愛園區) and attend a dinner hosted by Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) in the evening.
Protests erupted outside Songshan Airport at noon on Monday, where the pro-independence group "Taiwan Nation" (台灣國) waved flags and chanted, "Taiwan and China, one country on each side" (台灣中國，一邊一國). New Party's Yu Chi-bin (游智彬) countered by criticizing pro-independence and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) efforts to hinder cross-strait exchanges. Police eventually removed Yu from the scene.
As the forum approaches, officials expect discussions to focus on enhancing cooperation between Taipei and Shanghai.