On Tuesday, the mayor of Taiwan’s capital city told Chinese officials that he wanted peace and less "howling of ships and planes" around the island. He said dialogue is better than confrontation.

China, which views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, sends warplanes and warships near the island on an almost daily basis, and held a new round of mass military activities last week.

In his speech to the annual Taipei Shanghai City Forum, with Shanghai Vice Mayor Hua-Yuan present, Taipei mayor Chiang Wan An used poetic language in order to express his wish for peace along the Taiwan Strait.

"More dialogue, less confrontation. More olive branches for peace and less bitter grapes from conflict." Chiang called for more lights to be reflected from fishing boats in the sunset and less noise from ships and planes.

He added, "I always tell people that the more difficult and tense the situation is, the more communication we need."

Even though the forum was taking place, China continued to send warplanes. Taiwan's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that it had detected 10 aircraft and 7 warships in the last 24 hours.

Chiang belongs to Taiwan's Kuomintang party, which has traditionally favored close ties with China across the Taiwan Strait, although it denies that they are pro-Beijing. He is considered to be a potential presidential candidate.

The forum was first held in 2010 and is one of few high-level venues for discussions between Chinese officials and Taiwanese after China stopped a regular dialogue with Taiwan's Central Government in 2016 following TsaiIngWen's election as president.

Tsai and Lai Ching Te, her successor, both refuse to accept Beijing's claim that Taiwan and China are part of "one China". Lai also rejects Beijing's claims of sovereignty, and says that only Taiwanese people can determine their future.

Hua expressed his hope for a closer practical collaboration at the forum.

"Compatriots from both sides of Taiwan Strait were always one family." He said that we often came and went, becoming closer to one another.

Hua said that Shanghai tour groups will resume trips to Taiwan. He was offering an olive branch, given China's refusal to permit a full resumption in tourism on the island following the pandemic.

Taiwan's China policy-making Mainland Affairs Council stated on Monday that the government showed goodwill by allowing this forum to be held despite the "still grave situation across the Taiwan Strait". (Reporting and editing by Ben Blanchard)

(source: Reuters)