Taipei - The mayor of Taipei is set to embark on a visit to Shanghai towards the end of this month, as announced by his office on Friday. This visit is scheduled in conjunction with an annual city forum and takes place against the backdrop of strained relations between the governments of Taiwan and China.

Despite China's reluctance to engage with Taiwan's government since President Tsai Ing-wen assumed office in 2016, citing concerns of separatism, interactions at the city level had persisted until they were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nonetheless, Tsai's administration has been cautiously working towards reestablishing less sensitive person-to-person connections following the relaxation of pandemic-induced border restrictions late last year. This initiative aims to foster goodwill with China. In a modest step, a delegation of Shanghai officials undertook a discreet visit to Taipei in February.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, a prominent figure within the Kuomintang, the main opposition party which traditionally advocates for close ties with China, is slated to journey to Shanghai from August 29 to 31 to participate in the Taipei-Shanghai City Forum. This forum, inaugurated in 2010, will be led by Mayor Chiang, who is gaining prominence within the Kuomintang. The theme for this year's forum is "new trends, new development."

The Kuomintang has been advocating for the resumption of contacts with China, especially in light of the pandemic controls being eased. They contend that dialogue is now more critical than ever due to the heightened tensions involving Taiwan.

China asserts territorial claims over Taiwan and has been conducting military activities in close proximity to the island, including frequent deployments of fighter jets within its airspace.