Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je to visit Shanghai after voicing 'respect' for 'one China' consensus

Taipei's maverick mayor Ko Wen-je, who has wavered on the "one China" policy that has anchored cross-strait ties for decades, has finally confirmed he will attend the annual "Twin City" forum in Shanghai this month.

Ko would attend the three-day Taipei-Shanghai City Forum through to August 19, Xinhua reported, citing the Shanghai city government's Taiwan Affairs Office. The annual forum held since 2010 focuses on cultural and economic exchanges, rarely touching on political issues.

It will be Ko's first visit to the mainland as Taipei's mayor. He was elected in November last year amid unease among some of the electorate over the island's increasingly close ties with Beijing.

The announcement of his visit came after Ko told Xinhua in an interview on Monday he "understands and respects" the "1992 consensus" and would do whatever benefited ties. The tacit understanding reached that year holds that both sides recognise there is only one China, but each can have its own interpretation of what China stands for.

Ko has summarised his position on cross-strait affairs in his "2015 New Point Of View", which he touts as forward-looking. Under his vision, both sides should respect their signed agreements and advance mutual understanding on the basis of the "existing political foundation".

Previous media reports in Taiwan had suggested the forum might not take place because Ko refused to show more of the "well-meaning gestures" the mainland authorities had demanded and endorse Beijing's interpretation of "one China".